Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli has provided a pre-season update following the arrival of Dutch goalkeeper Joshua Smits, as the Reds continue preparations for the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Speaking to media on Monday, Andrioli reflected on the importance of adding experience to the squad, the progress of pre-season training, and the excitement of seeing younger players step up.
Andrioli on meeting new goalkeeper Joshua Smits…
“I just met him today. He came into training this morning, but I was busy finishing the session, so only had the chance to properly say hello afterwards. We’re excited to have him on board.”
On the importance of adding experience in goal…
“You can’t buy experience – it’s invaluable. We already have two very good young goalkeepers in [Ethan] Coxy and Max [Vartuli], but at 20 and 21 they’re still developing. Bringing Josh in with his background and different culture will help them grow, and strengthen us as a team.”
On further reinforcements…
“We’ve been talking about a couple of players and we’re hoping for good news in the coming weeks. We’ve got Goody, Bart, and a couple of others with experience, but beyond that not much [aged experience]. If we can add one or two more experienced players to support the young group, that would be fantastic.”
On replacing senior players who have departed…
“I see it as an opportunity. Yes, players have left and they’ll be missed, but it opens the door for others. We’re not short of young players knocking on the door for a chance, and I can’t think of anything more exciting than seeing them grab that with both hands. Pre-season has been really positive – the group is training well and we’re slowly building what we want to see on the pitch.”
On Craig Goodwin’s recovery…
“Craig is training well, enjoying himself, and you can see straight away the difference he makes with his quality and experience. We’re happy with his progress. If all goes well, we’re hoping to give him some minutes next week when we go to Melbourne [next week].”
