Why did you decide to leave for Europe when you did?
Personally I have always wanted to play in Europe because that is where the best players and the best competition is. People live and breathe football over here and it was always my dream to play for a big club in a top European league when I was growing up. I’m now living that dream. With that as background, it wasn’t really that big of a decision to leave Australia and join FC Twente. I wanted to move as quick as I could but of course that wouldn’t have happened without playing for Perth first.

Is there pressure on young Australian players to accept the first big that comes in, in case another one doesn’t come along?
I think there can be but it’s not something I experienced. I have a very good agent based in Melbourne and I had a few options at the time of my move. I had a few trials with some clubs and I chose what was best for myself and my career at the time. And I think I made the right choice, even though I moved to Twente and I didn’t play there as much as I wanted to. I still got a great education in Holland – it’s a fantastic country for young players to learn football. I was there for a year and a half and
I gained a lot of experience that helped.

You decided to go on loan from Twente to Roeselare in Belgium to get more playing time ahead of the World Cup. Looking back, that was a great move for you.
Yeah, I was pleased because it was my decision to make a move in order to get more playing time. I didn’t want to be sitting on the bench in Holland. Even though the club were last in the Belgian league when I joined them, they welcomed me and they were very good to me. I did very well there, I scored goals and I was playing every game. As a footballer that makes all the difference and I was much happier both on and off the pitch. Every decision you make leads you to where you are at the moment so I look back at the choice to go to Belgium very positively.

The transfer to Hertha Berlin took place last summer. How did that come about? What appealed to you about the move to Germany?
After the World Cup there were a few clubs that said they were interested in me, but when my agent told me that Hertha were interested in offering me a contract, I didn’t have to think about it. It’s a massive club and a great environment and culture for a footballer to be in. There were no second thoughts when we knew the interest was there. Markus Babel had only taken the coach’s job a month before so it was good to know that he wanted me to be one of his first signings. He was a great player and a well-known player around the world. He’s done it all, playing at the very highest level and to be working with him is an honour. You’ve been in good form this season.

It seems as though Hertha’s system really suits your style of play?
We play attacking football and it’s a great set-up to be part of. We’ve got some great players and it’s a mix of technical and tactical football. We like to keep possession of the ball but when it’s time to go forward we go. We play a three striker formation and I play in one of the wide positions. And I’ve been happy with my form over the year. I’ve usually played as a central striker all my life but when I came here, we started playing with three up front – one target man and two quicker guys on the side. It was a bit new to me at the start but I’ve adapted well and I’m really happy with the way I’m playing at the moment.

Have you been surprised by the quality in the league, one level below the Bundesliga?
This is my first full season playing for a massive club, where I have played in most of the games. It’s a very tough league, the German Second Division – you can see from some of the cup results, where a lot of the second tier teams beat Bundesliga sides and in fact, a Second Division side, Duisburg, is in the final this year against Schalke. I’ve played a lot of games this season at a high level and your body definitely feels more tired and sore at this point in the season. But you have to push yourself through and with the team winning the championship this season, we ultimately got our reward. Of course, as a player you dream about playing in the best leagues in the world so it’s a great achievement to help the team get to the top flight in Germany.

You’ve played in Germany, Belgium, Holland and are originally from Ukraine. Does the fact you’ve moved around when you were younger help you now in your life as a footballer?
It’s a tough life, that’s for sure. When I moved to Australia it was hard for me because I couldn’t speak English and I didn’t have any friends. Everything was new to me and I found it hard at first. But as the years went by and it became home, I met people who are now my best friends. I miss family and friends a lot and no matter how many times you move as a footballer, it’s always hard to come to a new place because you are on your own. This season has been good for me because my girlfriend has been with me most of the time and my father and girlfriend’s parents have been over to stay with me, which makes life a lot easier. I haven’t seen my friends from home in a year, so I’m really looking forward to going to Australia at the end of this season.

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