Ben Halloran was thrilled to have secured a return to Adelaide United on a two-year deal.
Speaking to the media at Coopers Stadium on Thursday, Halloran discussed his time abroad in K League 1 with FC Seoul and decision to re-join the Reds.
The 30-year-old departed Adelaide in January but after struggling for regular playing time, Halloran mutually terminated his contract in June.
And when the prospect of a reunion was a serious possibility Halloran needed little convincing.
“It’s great to be back,” he told reporters at his unveiling.
“Obviously left in January for South Korea. (It) didn’t exactly go to plan, I made a decision about six or so weeks ago to cut ties there.
“I just wasn’t really getting a look in and I just wasn’t enjoying it there.
“I think just hanging around for a pay check just wasn’t sustaining enough for me.
“So decided to leave, took a bit of a break to kind of reassess where my head was at and realised pretty quickly that I really enjoyed my time here.
“And if I was going to come back to Australia, Adelaide was pretty much the only place I wanted to come to.”
His addition bolsters United’s attacking options where he flourished in his three-and-a-half years as a Red.
The versatile forward scored 21 goals in 88 appearances in all competitions and in Carl Veart’s first full season in charge, claimed the Aurelio Vidmar Medal.
Halloran added the continuity in squad was another aspect in putting pen-to-paper.
“Obviously it’s a negotiation process, there’s a few things to factor in,” he said.
“But Adelaide is tried and tested, it worked before here and I enjoy living here.
“The team hasn’t changed too much and Carl is still the coach so it was a bit of a no brainer in the end.”
When asked if Craig Goodwin signing a three-year deal to remain in Adelaide influenced his decision as well, Halloran admitted it certainly did.
The pair were Reds teammates during the 2018/19 campaign and again for the majority of 2021 after Goodwin returned on loan from Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Wehda.
“It was definitely a factor, he’s a phenomenal player,” Halloran continued.
“He makes such a big difference for us, so we were chatting a bit before I made the decision, but I think on the whole we have such a good team at the moment.
“I think it’s probably the most balanced it’s been in a long time and we’ve kept more or less a core group players that have been there for a long time now.
“So that was also a big factor, obviously I feel comfortable here, but in terms of winning something I genuinely believe this team can win something this year and that also makes a big difference.”
