He will play his first competitive match for the Reds when they take on Bunyodkor in the home leg of the AFC Champions League Quarter Final tonight.

Coach John Kosmina has given the green light to the promising right-back to take his place in the starting line-up when the teams run onto the pitch for the highly-anticipated clash at Hindmarsh.

Bowles couldn’t be happier with the dramatic reversal of fortune that has seen him rescued from the embers of the defunct Gold Coast United and launched onto the biggest stage in Asian club football.

Just last season the 20-year-old’s professional football career was balanced on a knife’s edge and the prospect of getting a “real job” as a personal trainer loomed large.

But before the final whistle was blown on the glitter strip’s A-League misadventure the Young Socceroos defender found himself headed to South Australia on a two-year contract.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Bowles said of tonight’s showdown with the Uzbekistan outfit.

“It’s a massive game for the club and I’m excited about the challenge. At the moment I’m trying to stay a little bit relaxed but I’m sure the nerves will kick in just before the whistle.

“Adelaide’s had a lot of experience in the Champions League so I’ve spoken to a few of the senior boys and they’ve given me some tips and advice about what to expect in the game - that’s certainly made it easier for me going into the match.

“The best advice I’ve received is that it’s a big game for the club and the fans but just try and take it as another game and not get too worked up.”

There’s nothing like being thrown in the deep end, but Bowles is relishing the pressure and the chance to show his mettle on the big stage. He’s thrown off a lingering cold and says the whole team is pumped for the match.

“We’ve had video sessions and stuff about how they play but I guess we’re mostly focussed on ourselves because we know if we play to our strengths we can get a good result,” he said.

“There’s no doubt it’s going to be a big game for Adelaide and all the boys are really looking forward to it. The last couple of games against Bunyodkor we’ve seemed to get the better of them so everyone’s going into the match confident and fully believing they can get the right result.”

For Bowles there’s even more at stake. After leaving Brisbane Roar for Gold Coast and the promise of more game time, he’s hoping the subsequent move to Adelaide will provide some much-needed stability so he can focus on his game.

So far so good – the boy from Queensland has settled in well during the off-season and says the future is looking brighter.

“I went through a pretty tough stage,” he admits. “I knew I wanted to be a professional footballer and for those last few games with Gold Coast the players knew they were in the shop window.

"We all had to knuckle down and show the other teams what we could do and that’s what I was concentrating on.

“But there was a period there where I wasn’t quite sure where I would end up and I started thinking about life after football.”

The Reds, he says, have given him an opportunity to put “life after football” on the backburner while he pursues his first love.

“The move has been good for me,” he said. “I come from Toowoomba and Adelaide sort of has a similar feel – it’s laidback, a small place but at the same time it’s got everything you need.

“And they’re a great bunch of boys here and they’ve made it easy for me to settle in. Everything’s going well.”