Birighitti left the Reds for first team football with Newcastle Jets this season, but he was full of praise for his former skipper.

Valkanis parachuted into the hotseat at Hindmarsh Stadium following the sudden exit of coach John Kosmina, amid accusations he was angling for the job.

But Birighitti, who remains close with several Reds players, said the caretaker coach was an inspirational leader on and off the park.

“I was lucky enough to work under Kossie and Micky and they’re both fantastic coaches,” Birighitti said. “I’m sure Micky can produce the goods.

“Every club goes through these tough periods and they’re definitely going through a tough time but I was lucky enough to work with him and he’s fantastic.

“He’s got eight or nine games to prove himself and I’ve no doubt he’s hungry enough. I also played with him and he’s got that real winning mentality and I’ve got no doubt that he’ll lead by example.”

The young goalkeeper was just 17 when he first lined up alongside Valkanis, and says the former defender was a “real leader, a key player and a true captain”.

“I’ve no doubt he’ll pass on his experience to the players in the side,” he added. “I think he’ll be fantastic for the club.”

Birighitti, whose move to Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar in 2009 was squashed by the Reds, says he’s relishing his first XI status under coach Gary van Egmond.

The Perth native was in outstanding form on the weekend, pulling off some crucial saves to help the Jets to a 2-2 draw against Sydney FC.

It proved to be another brave display from the Jets’ custodian who won the club’s ‘Coach's Choice’ nod for the second week running.

But he admitted “it’s kind of a miracle” that he’s spent so much time on the pitch after suffering a shattered cheekbone in round seven.

His decision to get back between the sticks came just four weeks after a sickening collision with Wellington Phoenix striker Jeremy Brockie.

 

The club has confirmed that a surgeon cleared Birighitti to play but it was the goalkeeper’s call whether he was “mentally okay” to return.

“The surgeon told me I would have been back playing in seven or eight weeks and I was back playing in four weeks,” he said.

“That was a decision I made. I knew myself that I was ready to come back. I had my family and good friends supporting me and I knew myself it was the right time to come back.

“I spoke to Gary and he was more than happy to put me straight back in. It was a surprise really. It was a pretty nasty injury and to come back in four weeks it was kind of a miracle.

“A lot of people say to be a goalkeeper you have to be a bit crazy and they’re right. There are some times throughout a game, you put your body at risk and that’s certainly what happened to me.

“But at the end of the day that’s your job and you’ll do whatever it takes to stop the ball going through.”

Van Egmond will be hoping for more heroics from his talented shot stopper as they take on this season’s surprise packet, Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Jets are undefeated in five but have won only one of those matches and currently sit in fifth spot, just four points clear of last-placed Glory.

“We’ve got some tough games coming up against some good quality opposition but I have no doubt the boys can put up a good fight and get the three points,” Birighitti said.

“There’s a lot of talent in the squad and a lot of depth and I’m sure we can build momentum leading up to the finals.”