Phoenix hope Serb lives up to goal-scoring reputation

Specialist Multimedia Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·

15 Aug, 2017 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Andrija Kaluderovic has played full internationals for Serbia and has A League experience. Photo / AAP

With the completion of their foreign-player quota, it feels like the Wellington Phoenix have done solid business during this off-season.

Serbian striker Andrija Kaluderovic was the final import unveiled yesterday, after Croatian midfielder Goran Paracki was signed last month.

The Phoenix haven't had many players of Slavic origin - especially compared to the Australian A League clubs - so this is a change in direction, obviously driven by the new coaching team of Darije Kalezic and Rado Vidosic.

It's always a gamble signing a striker, but Kaluderovic looks a positive move. The 30-year-old has an extensive list of previous clubs, including several in Serbia as well as China, Spain, Cyprus, Switzerland, Qatar, Lithuania and Thailand, but has scored goals everywhere he has been. That's no mean feat, having to constantly adapt to new teammates, coaches and styles of play.

He's notched 108 goals in 236 games, including 19 in 43 appearances for Red Star Belgrade, where he was joint top scorer in the Serbian SuperLiga in the 2010-2011 season.

"[The coach] is expecting goals," said Kaluderovic. "He knows that I can do this, he has studied my game, knows what to expect so I hope to deliver. My area is in the goalbox. This feeling for the goal, I was born with this ... But my game is not just to score goals, I have good co-operation with other players, it's a nice feeling, too, to make the assist."

The Phoenix have lacked genuine goal scorers in recent years. Nathan Burns had a hot streak in the 2014/15 season, but the converted winger was an outlier. Stein Huysegems was handy but not always effective, Blake Powell showed promise before his premature departure, while Jeffrey Sarpong ranks as one of the worst-performing Phoenix imports.

Kaluderovic will, hopefully, take some of the pressure off Roy Krishna, who often seemed to be the Phoenix's only source of attacking inspiration last season and scored almost a third of their goals. Krishna is best employed in a wider role.

Importantly, the Serbian player has had some experience of the A League, with a 10-game stint for the Brisbane Roar in 2015 yielding five goals, including one against the Phoenix. Kaluderovic has played three full internationals for Serbia (2010 and 2011) and six times for national age-group teams.

He's signed to a one-year deal at the Phoenix, though hopefully his stint will be extended if both parties are satisfied. Kaluderovic will return home to Serbia this week for the birth of his third child, before returning with his family to the capital.

Overall, it looks like the Phoenix have got their import mix right ahead of this season.

Paracki will be the shield in front of the defence - in the absence of Alex Rodriguez and Vinnie Lia - while Italian Marco Rossi will be better for his season down under. Krishna has proved a great recruit, but Gui Finkler will need to justify his pricetag this season.