Sydney FC striker Adam Le Fondre has likened the past year of his career to a travelling roadshow but feels a full pre-season with the Sky Blues has him in shape to continue his goalscoring feats.
After a successful spell in India, Le Fondre returned to Australia midway through the 2020-21 A-League Men’s season and featured in the side that lost the grand final to Melbourne City.
After his time on the sub-continent and returning to his native England over the past 12 months, the 34-year-old believes a settled training load in Australia has him primed to add to his 49 goals for Sydney.
“I had great success in India and creating history but getting my family settled back here has been great,” Le Fondre said.
“But it (the last year) has been a roller coaster with all the emotions. It happens in life that you have to move around like a gypsy.
“It’s been quite a seamless transition settling back in here, which has helped me perform on the field in the pre-season.”
The Englishman scored more than 20 goals a season in his two full campaigns with Sydney and he netted four time during this year’s pre-season friendlies.
Le Fondre said he is hopeful that he can rekindle his goalscoring partnership with Brazilian Bobo when the Sky Blues begin their season on Saturday with a derby against Western Sydney Wanderers.
“We had a good crack at it when I came (back) in,” he said.
“We didn’t lose until the grand final and last year we were both scoring goals.
“You want both strikers to be contributing with goals and we’ve done well together and we are looking forward to doing it in the season.
“We’re quite lucky with the depth we’ve got at the club too with some of the young lads coming through.”
The derby hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground during Le Fondre’s tenure – the Sky Blues have just one win in their past seven clashes with the Wanderers – but he hopes to rectify that on Saturday.
“I’ve not really won too many derby games… My thing with the derby, because they (the Wanderers) weren’t that successful, I got brought in with the idea that Melbourne Victory was the big game between the two most successful teams,” he said.
“Obviously when you play in the (Sydney) derby, it’s such a big atmosphere, the crossover between the fans and it’s like an English crowd because it’s so hostile.
“They’ve had the better of us for a few games, prior to the one at the SCG last season.
“But it’s nice to win and to shush the local rivals.
“Derbys are always fights and slugfests, we have to be ready for that.”
