However, Cristiano will have to wait until playmaker Diego and forward Agostino return to fitness with the pair likely to miss this weekend's season opener against Perth.

"I prefer me, Agostino and Diego. That's very good. Beautiful," Cristiano told au.fourfourtwo.com at the launch of the A-League in Sydney.

"That is very good, they can play me and Diego and Agostino together but it is what the coach wants, we have to respect that. When they are fit they make it easy for me. But you never know in one season with injuries.

"But you never know we have to wait now. Diego and Agostino are now injured. I hope they are back in one or two more weeks.

Cristiano has a two year deal in the city of churches and has settled well. His family arrived two weeks ago and his children have started school in Adelaide.

The 27-year-old Brazilian whose 11 senior years have been spent in Holland with Willem II, Roda JC and NAC Breda is one of a number of quality strikers in this season's A-League.

Sergio van Dijk at Roar has been joined by the returning Reinaldo. John Aloisi at Sydney FC, Perth's Adrian Trinidad and Edmundo Zura at Jets are also set to shine this season.

"I've been here two months and the impressions have been good. We played the pre-season cup and you can see a lot of quality. I think the A-League this year will be very good.

"It's more physical here and more contact. I don't like that? but I have to do that," said Cristiano.

However, one of the biggest tasks for Cristiano and the Reds will come next month in the AFC Champions League. Three tough A-League matches sandwiched between two-legged tie with J-League power Kashima in the quarter finals.

But Cristiano may have some inside knowledge at the Antlers. "I have a friend who plays in Kashima Antlers, his name is Koji Nakata. We play together at Basle in Switzerland.

"They have two very good Brazilian players and a Brazilian coach as well. A very good coach. He likes to play football ? they are a very good team," he conceded.

The striker's decade in Holland also included two loan spells at Swiss club Basle over the last couple of years. He featured in a UEFA Cup appearance against Blackburn Rovers, and it proved a handy Aussie connection.

"It was a very good experience. [Brett] Emerton played [for Rovers] but you can see the level is higher in England but it was fantastic."

It was at Basle that he met Socceroos Mile Sterjovski and Scott Chipperfield, who later advised him on the move to Australia.

"They said it was very good to play but not like in Europe. They say it was good for the experience but not for staying for ten years but for a few years to make an experience.

"In Europe you have a lot more possibilities. Maybe one, two years in Australia or more you never know, and after to have the chance to go back to Europe, we go back.

"But now I have to think about A-League and after take a step up. I had a year left on my contract but I had the opportunity came to see the other side of the world."

Brazilian legend Romario's brief stint with the club in 2007 also swayed the decision, with Cristiano saying the 1000-goal star had good words to say about his experience in the red shirt.

"Romario spoke very good about Adelaide and the city. So I said I want to look and after we're going to see. You have to start somewhere and after we will see.

"But now, my ambition is to be champion with Adelaide United and to go on in the [AFC] champions league and make goals.

"Because I'm a striker and my job is to make goals."