This step prepared him for a senior career that arrived a little sooner than expected in 2003. At just 17, Leijer made 20 appearances for Melbourne Knights in the old National Soccer League. It was an ideal league to learn in – and toughen up – with lessons being dished out by hard-boiled strikers such as Damian Mori, Stewart Petrie and Joe Spiteri on a regular basis. That same year, Leijer was selected in the Joeys squad for the World Championships in Finland.

But it’s been at A-League level that Leijer has flourished. Despite the disappointing seventh placing last season, Leijer was crowned Clubman of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year at the Victory aged just 19.

Much of Adrian’s top flight success is due to the help of former Victory defender “Sir” Geoffrey Claeys. The respected Belgian international and former Feyenoord and Anderlecht player has provided valuable guidance to the youngster over the last two seasons.

“I have learnt a lot from Geoff,” says Leijer. “He would stay back at training, even when he wasn’t playing in the first XI, and he’d be giving us tips and helping us with our positioning.”

It says much about Adrian, as well as team-mates Roddy Vargas and Daniel Piorkowski, that Claeys was not able to break back into the first team, prompting the veteran to return to Belgium.

Playing alongside Vargas and Piorkowski – who Leijer played with three years ago at the humble Knights Park – has helped gel the defensive unit, making Victory the best defence in the A-League (11 goals conceded in 16 games at time of writing).

The Dubbo lad has also proved he’s not one to be messed with in what is a physical A-League. The 20-year-old’s bodycheck on Robbie Middleby during that combustible derby with Sydney in round two is ample evidence of his willingness to put himself about. Other strikers too have felt the sting of this AFL fan’s physical approach.

Leijer looms as a key man for club and country in the next few years. Victory’s A-League dominance appears set to continue, while he has a chance to play in the 2008 Asian Champions League. In the coming year, there are spots up for grabs as Arnie’s Olyroos head into a particularly tricky and demanding chunk of Olympics qualifiers across Asia.

What’s more, with speculation that Guus Hiddink will be back for the 2010 World Cup campaign – with Graham Arnold in tow – Leijer is ideally placed to stake a claim for a senior spot over the next few years.

The 2007 Asian Cup could be an ideal jump off point for the youngster. He has already had a taster, having been selected as a World Cup train on player in May and again in August for an Asian Cup match.

“Guus keeps to himself,” Leijer recalls of the Dutch master. “He has a presence around the place that gets the players buzzing and gets their confidence up. Every training session you could see the massive respect the players had for him… with my background being Dutch, he asked me about that but he was focused on the World Cup players. It was a great experience and something I’ll never forget.”



Now, the question is, who will partner Lucas Neill in the next few years at the heart of the Socceroos’ defence?

With the retirement of Tony Popovic and Tony Vidmar, and with Michael Beauchamp falling behind in the pecking order, Leijer may be in the box seat for a place in the centre of the green and gold backline.

With so much happening internationally and in the booming A-League (“It’s like playing in Europe at Telstra Dome with the size of our crowds”), perhaps it’s no surprise then that Leijer isn’t too keen to rush off to Europe... at least not in the short-term.

“It’s something that every player dreams of and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to also go overseas,” says Leijer, a Manchester United fan. “But with the Olyroos and the way Melbourne Victory is set up, there’s no reason why I can’t stay here for a few more years.”

Melbourne Victory will be hoping “Prince” Leijer’s reign is a long and fruitful one.