New Adelaide United signing Jacob Brazete has arrived in South Australia hungry to prove himself, embracing the Club’s reputation for developing young players and excited by the opportunity to make Adelaide his footballing home.
The exciting attacker has spent his first month settling into life in the city and says the move has already lived up to expectations.
“It’s been fantastic,” Brazete said.
“I’ve been really impressed by the city. It offers something different to Brisbane and Sydney where I grew up.
“I’ve been to the Hills, been down south, so on that front it’s been really good.”
But it was Adelaide United’s track record on the pitch that made the move particularly appealing.
The Reds have developed and provided opportunities to a long list of young players in recent seasons, and Brazete believes there are few better environments in Australian football for a player determined to take the next step.
“You have to look at their resume of players that have moved from Adelaide overseas,” he said.
“It’s probably one of, if not the best, in the league.
“But they also offer not just that, but a platform to become better players, which is just as important.
“There’s a real emphasis on developing young players and giving them time and moments to develop.
“I couldn’t really say a better Club in Australia to try and become a better player.”
Having made the move from Brisbane Roar, Brazete arrives with a point to prove and plenty of belief in what he can achieve in red.
“Football is a rollercoaster. It’s ups and downs,” he said.
“All you can do is work hard and maybe have a bit of luck.
“I fully back myself, and I hope the Club backs me as well, which I think they do, to really bloom into a bright and strong player in this league.
“I have high hopes for myself, and I’m really excited to try and prove myself and see what I can do.”
Brazete was also encouraged by United’s ability to develop players recruited from outside South Australia, pointing to former Red Archie Goodwin as an example of what can be achieved.
“They don’t just produce their own players, but they’re able to bring new players in from different environments and nurture them and develop them,” Brazete said.
“I hope that I can pave the way for interstate boys to come in and see Adelaide as a destination.
“Why not be a destination for young kids all over Australia to look at and say, ‘That’s where I want to be’?”
That hunger extends to wherever Brazete is asked to play.
Naturally comfortable in wide areas, the 20-year-old is keen to use his versatility to give the coaching staff different options throughout the season.
“In football, you have to be versatile to play different roles,” he said.
“I can play out wide and get one-on-one with my fullback, but at the same time you have to be able to adjust.
“I don’t mind playing on the right as well. I can do that if they need me to play even as a ten or a nine.
“For me, I just want to play. There’s hunger to play.
“If it’s right, centre, left, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to try my 100 per cent best.”
Brazete has already had his first taste of competitive football with the Reds and says the mood within the group remains strong as preparations continue for the new campaign and AFC Champions League Two football.
“The last two or three weeks of training have been unbelievable,” he said.
“All the boys have been super happy. The coach and the coaching staff have been very happy with us.
“You can’t dwell on what’s happened. We’re still playing in Asia. It’s a new environment for us, a new environment for me and the Club, so I’m really excited to see what we can do.
“We know the competition will be strong, there are some good clubs, but there’s not a better place to try and test yourself than on the international stage.”
The winger has also enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Captain Craig Goodwin, a player Brazete admits he watched closely growing up.
“I do look at Craig Goodwin as kind of a role model,” Brazete said.
“I remember watching him when I was younger, and he was someone that I kind of idolised as a Socceroo, so it’s a bit surreal for me to be training next to him and learning off him.
“He tries to help me as well and loves to share time and give me insights from his massive base of knowledge.
“There’s not really a better person in the country for me to try and learn my craft off.”
And while Round One will bring an immediate reunion with former side Brisbane Roar at Coopers Stadium, Brazete’s focus is firmly on what comes next.
“Adelaide’s my future,” he said.
“It doesn’t really matter who we play because the goal for Round One will still be the same.
“You’ve got to come to Coopers and beat us.”
For a player determined to take the next step, Brazete sees Adelaide as exactly the place to do it – and he is ready to show Reds supporters what he can bring.
