Bosschaart, 32 – who is fending off a steady stream of requests from back home for Del Piero paraphernalia since news of the superstar signing broke – began training drills with his team-mates this week.

The veteran defender was stretchered off in Sydney FC’s 2011-12 elimination final defeat to Wellington Phonenix in March and told it could be at least six months before he resumed training.

“Last week I saw the doctor who did the operation for the last time and I have the clearance to build it up towards the group sessions,” Bosschaart said.

“So that’s actually a few weeks ahead of schedule and if everything is alright and it goes to plan then I should be ready for the season start.

“I don’t want to say it’s going to happen because there’s always a risk but as it’s going now it’s going really well.

“The only thing I could do the first few months was strength training and now I can run and do some things with the ball as well.

“To be honest today I did a lot of the drills with the group – so it’s going really well.”

The former Feyenoord and Utrecht player described the horror injury as the worst of his career, coming just three months after he signed a two-year contract extension with the Sky Blues.

But his isn’t the only good news on the injury front, with the announcement that marquee and Vice-Captain Brett Emerton is ready to hit the paddock against the Newcastle Jets this weekend in a friendly after recovering from ankle surgery.

The club has had to cancel two pre-season games due to injuries and international commitments, but Bosschaart said there was no panic in the Sky Blues’ ranks.

“They’re not big injuries – they’re all small injuries,” he said. “It’s pre-season and you know that you’re going to get injuries.

“But we don’t have many players to replace them with a squad of 22-23 players so when you have four or five injuries that’s a lot.”

The no-nonsense defender hasn’t been idle during his long lay-off, clocking up plenty of media and community engagements for the club and, in a foretaste of what’s to come in the A-League’s newest derby, took on former team-mate and Western Sydney Wanderers recruit Shannon Cole in a cook-off.

Channel 10’s Ready Steady Cook episode featuring the players will air next year, and while Bosschaart couldn’t reveal the outcome did say his spatchcock with halloumi and cauliflower popcorn followed by breadcrumb cake was “really good”.

Bosschaart admitted he was still great friends with many of the players who had left the club in the end of season clean-out, including fellow central defender Michael “Meggsy” Beauchamp, who has also signed with the crosstown rivals.

But he is already forging a strong friendship with his new defensive partner and near neighbour, Adam Griffiths, who he drives to training with each day.

As for that other signing: “To be honest everybody is sending me messages, can I arrange any shirts and this type of thing.

“What can I say, Del Piero is an absolute legend – 19 years with Juventus, what more do I have to say?  If you don’t know him you don’t like football.”