Stefan Mauk is once again an Adelaide United player after recently sealing his return to the Club on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The 24-year-old’s arrival is the Reds’ first signing in this month’s January transfer window and bolsters the squad’s midfield depth.
Mauk joined his hometown team in January 2016 and was an integral cog in United’s charge to a historic Premiership and Championship double.
Mauk’s addition provides versatility in the centre of the park and is capable of operating as an attacking or box-to-box midfielder.
Born in Adelaide, Mauk began his professional career at Melbourne City in 2012 after spending two years at the Australian Institute of Sport.
A move to Melbourne City followed and he would make his debut in January 2013.
However, it was not until the 2015/16 season where Mauk really burst on to the scene. He scored four goals in the first-half of the campaign, including two strikes in separate derbies against Melbourne Victory before being involved in a swap deal.
Mauk joined the Reds with Osama Malik moving in the opposite direction and it was at Adelaide where he made an instant transition into the starting line-up and arguably played his best football.
The midfielder combined enterprise with guile, scoring three goals and played an instrumental role in continuing Adelaide’s resurgence on their way to clinching the Premier’s Plate and Championship.
He aptly won the Club’s Rising Star Award at the end of the season, and his reward for those impressive performances further manifested itself into a maiden Socceroos call-up for a friendly match against England in Sunderland in May 2016.
Later that offseason, the then 20-year-old courted interest from NEC Nijmegen and agreed to transfer to the Dutch outfit.
Though Mauk was limited to only three appearances with NEC, and completed a loan move back to City ahead of the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 season.
He finished that campaign with six goals in all competition as the Victorian outfit lost out to Newcastle Jets in the second round of the finals series.
Mauk put pen-to-paper on a permanent move to Brisbane Roar the following year, where he had spent the previous 18 months prior to returning home.
Adelaide United host Melbourne City in Round 17 of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 season on Saturday, 1 February at Coopers Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.00pm ACDT. Gates open at 6.00pm. Live and Exclusive on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and the My Football Live App.
