Mustafa Amini is focused and back on track. Dogged by injuries for two years, the 29-year-old has finally got his body right and that is great news for his new club Perth Glory and their supporters.
A career that has taken him from the Central Coast to Germany and on to Denmark and Cyprus now sees the midfielder in Western Australia, ready to work hard and achieve some big goals. The decision to join a club that finished bottom of the Isuzu Ute Men’s A-League competition last season raised some eyebrows but the appeal of a three-year contract and the chance to be part of something fresh and exciting was too good to refuse.
“One of the main reasons [for joining] is I was wanted,” he says. “I felt wanted here so I had a plan to come here and with [head coach] Ruben [Zadkovich] and Andy [Keogh] becoming the Head of Recruitment, they called me and called my agent, told me the goals of the club, told me personal goals they believe I could achieve here so that drove me to come.
“It wasn’t just ‘hey, come sign for us’, it was more of a ‘let’s get this going, we’ve got this plan, let’s try to work hard and get Glory back to the top’.”
Image credit: Esteban Barbosa / Perth Glory FC
Amini spent the second half of last season with Sydney FC, joining the club as an injury replacement, but he admits it was just a flying visit in his home city and having something more permanent in place gives the opportunity to settle and focus on the football side of things.
“I signed at Sydney, but it was only for six months,” he says. “Well, it was only really for four months so I couldn’t really establish myself. It was a four-month deal get in, get out sort of thing.
“Coming here, Glory signing me for three years, whether I stay the three years or not, it’s my club now. This is my home; my family is going to come here.
“I’ve watched Perth and I’ve watched A-League the whole time, even when I was overseas. I saw Optus Stadium when they had the Grand Final, it’s the record attendance for that game, and it’s nice to be part of the club. They haven’t been good recently, that’s a fact, so now we’re trying to build back to the top and that starts here with preseason and hard work.”
It is only the second week of preseason for the Glory squad, and a couple of new signings are yet to arrive, but Amini is impressed with both the playing group and the support staff. It has been an offseason of change for the club and the move to new facilities at Fremantle Oval has given a new sense of stability and structure.
“I’m hearing in the changing room players saying, ‘we didn’t have that, we were at a school, and we had to take our bag and boots home’ so to have this base helps the players,” he says.
“We’re getting breakfast, we’re getting in lunch, and those things are important at a football club whereas these boys didn’t have that last season. It’s work in progress and I’m happy so far.
“I’m not here to say that we’re going to be the best team in the league, but I can tell you that we will definitely be competing, and it won’t be like last season where Perth Glory was last.”
This is Amini’s first full preseason for three years and he is well aware of its importance but the A-Leagues’ long time between competitive games is something he struggles with.
“It’s a bit hard for me because there’s still a long way to go to the season and I’m used to max six weeks preseason and you’re straight in whereas this is a three-month lead in,” he says.
“But there’s a lot to work on which gives Ruben, the coaching staff and also the players a chance to get to know each other.”
What can Glory supporters expect from a player who has represented his country and spent time at European giant Borussia Dortmund?
“On the pitch, I like to lead, help the team out, communicate,” he says. “I think that’s a big thing in football – you communicate with your teammates, when to press, when not to press, those kind of things. I’m not going to tell people off or anything, I’m going to give them advice and help them out because that’s what I expected and liked when I was young.
“When the season starts, I want to be playing 26 games and end up playing 30 to the Grand Final. That’s my goal so I’ve come here to play those games, get into the top six and go from there.”
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With eight international caps to his name, Amini hasn’t closed the door on adding to take tally. In fact, he is bullish about his chances of pushing for a place in Graham Arnold’s squad for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
“I was in the squad before I got injured and I don’t see why I can’t get back in that squad,” he says. “I can tell you that every A-League player, it’s a goal of theirs, to get into that World Cup squad.
“I don’t believe it’s set in stone because you have games, a good preseason, you’re fit, you’re firing, there’s no reason why not. And Arnie’s shown that he picks A-League players so touch wood, Perth Glory are eight games in and top of the table, I’ve got a couple of assists and eight 90-minute games in me. You never know what can happen, dreams can come true.
“I had a hard time, I was injured for two years, I definitely want to get back in that squad but that doesn’t happen without playing at the top for Perth Glory so that is my goal.”
Off the field, Amini and his partner, Natalie, recently welcomed their second child to the world and the family sacrifices to support his career are something that the player doesn’t take for granted.
“She’s great, she supports me and has been overseas with me the whole time so for her that’s part of it and you’re forever grateful for it,” he says.
“A lot of people say that the girlfriends of footballers have a great life, but I don’t believe that because I see it firsthand. It’s not easy, they’re the ones moving over to different countries where you’ve got teammates, but they don’t have anyone.”
The family will settle in Perth in the coming weeks, bringing even more stability and allowing Amini to push hard for success at both club and international level.
“If you do well for Perth Glory, I don’t see why you can’t get picked because Arnie knows me, Arnie knows what I can do,” he says.
“Yes, I’ve been injured but there’s no more excuses. I’m not injured anymore!”
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