New Melbourne City FC signing Corey Gameiro believes the club are destined for success and is determined to play his part in their rise to the top.
The 22-year-old forward, who is recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last November, was released by Sydney FC earlier this month, agreeing a two-year deal with City that was announced on Monday.
Gameiro netted two goals in five impressive A-League appearances last season before disaster struck in the form of a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Under-23 international duty.
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With his rehabilitation proceeding well, the Wollongong-born youngster is confident in his ability to produce similar good form over an extended period in a white and sky blue shirt.
“I just think the club’s going in the right direction, they’ve got the foundations right and there’s only going to be one way from here and that’s success – and I want to be a part of that,” he said.
“I want to try and help the club to get to the top. There’s no other club in the A-League with these facilities.
“I think we’re coming together well. With (Ivan) Franjic joining us, obviously he’s the Socceroos’ right-back, he’s going to add a lot to us.
“I want to be successful and I think I can add something to the team. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way … just in terms of my attributes and what I can bring to the team.
Gameiro took the plunge and signed for then-Premier League club Fulham in 2009, failing to make a first team appearance at Craven Cottage and going out on loan to Hayes & Yeading, FC Eindhoven and Wellington Phoenix.
“I still think I was probably too young to go,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity that, when you’re 16 – I was close to signing for Liverpool, and then the head scout, Malcolm Elias, he moved from Liverpool to Fulham. And I thought, ‘it’s probably easier to try and crack it at Fulham than it is at Liverpool’.
“My route to the A-League is a lot different to most 22-year-olds. I definitely do value and cherish the experience that I’ve had to get me here.
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Capped by the Young Socceroos and Olyroos, Gameiro harbours ambitions of playing for the senior national team and revealed a message of support from head coach Ange Postecoglou bolstered his flagging spirits after being sidelined last year.
“When I was injured I got a text from Ange and he was nice enough to send a message, which I thought and my family thought was very respectful from him,” he said.
“We didn’t really expect to hear from him, but it was ‘keep your head up and keep moving forward, you don’t know what the future holds,’ so that was good for me to read when I was down in the dumps – to know at least the manager had enough thought to send me a text. I hope to one day repay him for that.”
