HOW BRANDON BORRELLO IMPRESSED ME

The last club I played for in Germany was Kaiserslautern, where I was teammates with an Aussie striker named Brandon Borrello. I have a lot of admiration for him after our time playing together.

Seeing how he dealt with certain situations taught me a lot about the Australian mentality.

Brandon is a relaxed guy, but when it’s time he switches on and focuses on the job at hand. I think many Aussies are like this and it’s a good perspective on life and football.

I think it helped Brandon too, because it can be tough for Australians coming into Europe for the first time. You need time to learn how the game is played over there because it’s a different style.

It was hard for him at first. He didn’t get to play many games or got only limited minutes and then he was sent down to the second team. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but he stayed calm.

Some footballers would let that situation affect their mood and get down about things. Not Brandon. We’d go out for dinner and he was always happy and upbeat.

 You can’t control everything in football, so you have to learn to not let anger and frustration get to you.

He said to me, ‘Alright, I know what I’m able to control. I’ll be patient’.

That mentality was perfect for the situation. He stayed positive and, after a few months, he was playing very well and forced his way back into the first team.

Now he’s reaping the rewards, following his move to the Bundesliga club Freiburg.

He actually told me about the move a few weeks before it was announced. I couldn’t have been happier for him because he deserves it. Freiburg is the perfect move, because they are a club that is known for developing young players.

They are also renowned for being patient with injuries, which is important because he tore his ACL last season. At Freiburg, they won’t rush him back. He will have time to settle.

MY AUSSIE FAMILY

I’ve actually wanted to come to Australia for many years, because my family has a strong connection to this country.

My grandparents travelled here on a boat in 1956, looking for a new adventure. They settled down in Adelaide, where my father and uncle were born, and lived there until Dad was 18.

He and my uncle always said that if it was their decision, they would have never left, but Grandma became too homesick and wanted to be closer to her family, so they moved back to Munich.

After Dad met Mum, the two of them saved for three years to come here on a holiday, before I was born. They spent six weeks travelling all around Australia on an outback adventure. So, my whole life I’ve grown up hearing all their exciting stories about this country. It’s been a big part of my life.

In Australia, Thomas Broich was able to find happiness with his football. That’s what was on my mind when I made this decision to come here.

Dad has always been a massive Socceroos fan, even in 2010 when they played Germany.

I remember watching that game with him at home. He was wearing a Socceroos jersey that I had given him as a present for his birthday.

I’d lived in Germany my whole life, so you can understand why I was cheering the other way. Of course, it was a happier night for me in the end, but it was bittersweet because I have a soft spot for Australia as well.

I think it was only a matter of time before I made it out here.

It was too expensive for Mum and Dad to bring the whole family out when I was young and, since my career began, the time just hasn’t been right. My wife would always suggest it for holidays, but you need a lot of time to see Australia properly.

Now I’ve got three years to see it all. I think that’s enough, don’t you?!

I’ll need that long as well, because there are just so many things I want to see: rainforests, deserts, beaches, the list goes on. I’m a little afraid of sharks, so I think it would be cool to go under the water in a dive cage one day. And I want to explore the outback; travelling around and living in a tent like my parents did.

There’s a lot we want to get out of this Australian adventure. I want to grow as a footballer, certainly. But as a family, we want to grow as human beings. That’s the main thing.

And it’s not without risk! When you sign with a club, 20 hours away on the other side of the world, you never know what you’re going to get. But we love it here so far.

On the training pitch, I get to work with one of the greats of German football in Markus Babbel.

He’s the perfect coach for Western Sydney because he has the ultimate winning mentality – the most important requirement in football.

He won everything during his time playing for Bayern Munich and Liverpool and he knows that sometimes, a team might not be the most talented but if they have the right mentality, they can win every game. That’s what he’s trying to teach this team.

Regardless of whether he’s working with an Australian, English or German player, the only thing he cares about is if that person has the heart to give everything.

I’m really enjoying my career right now. And who knows, maybe we’ll stay for longer if things work out. My uncle doesn’t reckon we’ll ever leave Australia. Maybe he’s right.