After an off-season dominated by Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton, Porter believes coach Miron Bleiberg's capture of seasoned Dutch midfield duo Beekmans and Junschlager has flown right under the radar.

With upwards of 15 players having left the tourist strip club since the end of last season, many pundits are predicting United to struggle this year - but Porter says they do so without a real understanding of who has come in to replace them.

Beekmans, 29, and Jungschlager, 27, have been handed the task of running the Gold Coast engine room and their pedigree shows they have the capacity to pick up where the departed Jason Culina and Zenon Caravella left off.

The pair have years of valuable experience in both the Dutch Eridivisie and First Division under their belt and Porter says it's only a matter of time before people begin to notice them.

"I think you'll find after the first three or four weeks, hopefully after we've got a few good results, that these so-called 'no-names' aren't really no-names at all," he said.

"They've been around a bit and they've been playing good football for a long time. They've been fantastic players for their whole career in Holland.

"People obviously don't know the players we've brought in by name - but we know what they're capable of and where they've played.

"Watching them and training with them for the last three or four months, we know they've got great qualities on and off the park. If other teams are going to underestimate them, then fantastic."

Porter is slowly nursing himself back to full fitness after a hamstring injury that he admits threw his off-season progress completely off-track.

"It came at the wrong time," he said. "I would have preferred it a bit earlier in the pre-season so I could have had a bit longer (to recover) but I've been back training for nearly a week now and I'm feeling good."

But after the signings of fellow strikers Dylan Macallister and Maceo Rigters, exactly what role he will be given by Bleiberg this term remains to be seen.

Porter was deployed as a 'super-sub' late last season to great effect, coming off the bench a number of times and turning matches on their head with his guile and deft touches.

With their opening match against Wellington just over a week away, 32-year-old Porter is prepared to embrace life as a substitute if that's what Bleiberg has in store for him.

"That's definitely something I can do," he said. "Personally, I don't want to be coming off the bench all the time - I'd prefer to be in the starting 11.

"But there's going to be times, with injuries and the way I'm coming back at the moment - I've probably not got 90 minutes in me just yet.

"If I'm asked to do that, I know I can. I did it late last year and did it quite well. I did it at Hartlepool a few times as well so I'm accustomed to it.

"I know I can give something extra to the team when it's needed and if that's the way that Miron wants to see me play this year, I'm happy to do it."