Adelaide United is delighted to announce the return of former Reds striker, Bruce Djite, as the Club’s new Director of Football.
The 32-year-old officially announced his retirement from the game back in April with his knowledge of the Hyundai A-League very highly regarded. Djite had been a regular pundit across Fox Sports’ football coverage, providing analysis and insight as a valued voice on multiple facets of Australian football.
Capped nine times by the Socceroos, Djite also served as a member on the Professional Footballers Australia Executive Committee for more than four years.
During his playing career, and over his two spells with the Reds, Djite scored a total of 41 goals in 158 appearances and is currently the Club’s all-time top scorer.
The United fan favourite first joined Adelaide midway through the 2006/07 season before securing a move to Turkish Süper Lig club Gençlerbirliği in 2008 at the age of 21.
Djite returned to United ahead of the 2011/12 campaign where he spent the next five seasons and experienced immense success. First he won the inaugural FFA Cup in 2014 before helping the Reds lift a historic Premiers’ Plate and Championship double in 2016. In that double-winning campaign of 2015/16, Djite contributed a clinical 11 goals in the final 14 games, including a quality brace in the Semi Final against Melbourne City FC at Coopers Stadium.
Djite said he was thrilled to be returning to Adelaide United and was looking forward to the challenge in his new role off the pitch.
“Returning to Adelaide United is a great honour for me. I have created the best memories of my life in the great state of South Australia. Both my children were born here in Adelaide, I won all the domestic titles with Adelaide United, and who can forget that Grand Final at Adelaide Oval!
“The first house I ever bought was here because I believe in South Australia. Adelaide is the club and city where I signed my first ever professional contract and the people of SA have adopted me as one of their own from the very first day I stepped foot in this great state.
“Now I have come back to give my blood, sweat, and tears to the club in a new capacity, a new chapter in my career. I am very proud to be appointed the Director of Football for this club, which means so much to me.
“This position bestows a great amount of responsibility on me and I look forward to doing what I have always done: putting my head down, and working hard and diligently to achieve the club’s goals.
“I thank the club for all the trust they have given me and I look forward to getting to work.”
Speaking about Djite’s appointment, Adelaide United Chairman, Piet van der Pol, said: “It is no secret that Bruce is held in very high esteem right throughout Australian football.
“In addition to this, his connection with Adelaide United and his knowledge of this Club and this sport in this country make him perfectly qualified to be our Director of Football.
“Bruce is an outstanding professional and has exceeded in all aspects of his career.
“As such, we are very excited to have him return to our Club and are looking forward to the positive impact he will undoubtedly have not only on our Football Department, but the entire organisation.”
