Dutch midfielder Victor Sikora hopes to stay on at the Perth Glory next season despite being offered a contract by American Major League Soccer (MLS) club Dallas.
In another boost for the Hyundai A-League’s stature following Jason Culina’s move to the Gold Coast and Robbie Fowler’s interest in joining North Queensland, Sikora said he wants to stay on at the Glory if coach Dave Mitchell wants him for next season.
The former Ajax and Netherlands international said that after playing on loan with Dallas at the end of last season, the club had been non-committal about re-signing him following a knee injury the 30-year-old received in his second MLS match, which kept him out for three weeks.
And Dallas’ loss may be the Glory’s gain if Sikora can build on the solid form he’s displayed since making his Perth debut in the Boxing Day clash with Adelaide.
“I prefer Perth,” was Sikora’s direct answer when asked whether the new deal being offered by Dallas would sway him to return to Texas.
“I was on loan (to Dallas), they brought me in for the last six games, with an option for another three years,” he explained.
“And I get an injury, so I miss three games, four games, and they said, ‘we want you to stay here but we didn’t see enough of you, so we don’t pick up the (extra three-year) option but after a few weeks we’ll come back to you ‘.”
“So, they ring one-and-a-half weeks ago, (saying) that they want to re-sign me, but if Perth say we want you here (then I’ll stay).”
Despite not bursting onto the scene like other Perth imports this season – striker Eugene Dadi scored 10 goals for the club – Sikora has displayed some solid form in midfield and up front, culminating in a quality cross to Scott Bulloch in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle that provided the club’s goal in that match.
Sikora, though, feels his form has been good enough to figure in Mitchell’s plans for next season, saying he doesn’t feel any new contract is dependent on his performance in the Glory’s final round clash with Queensland on Saturday.
“I give everything the last four games and I think I did a good job,” Sikora said.
“I think they (the Glory) already know what they want and I think after the last game, they will come back to me and say what they want and then we will figure something out maybe.”
Sikora, a native of the Dutch provincial town of Deventer, said that after several years playing in Holland with Eredivisie clubs like Ajax and most recently NAC Breda, it was time for a change.
“I played for 15 years in Holland and I saw every stadium inside and outside,” Sikora said.
“I heard from so many friends of mine that played abroad, ‘Victor if you’re going to do it, do it now ’cause when you finish your career, you will regret it yourself if you didn’t’.”
“There came along a few clubs in Spain and France but I don’t speak French and I don’t speak Spanish and Dallas came along and it was an easy choice.”
In other Perth Glory news, defender Dino Djulbic will play for German side Rot Weiss Ahlen for the rest of the season after the second division club agreed on an undisclosed transfer with the Glory on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old, who was born in Bosnia-Hercegovina before moving to Germany as a youngster, has previously played for Ahlen as a junior for two seasons before his family moved to Western Australia in 2001.
