Both club and player are hoping that veteran Thai striker Sutee Suksomkit’s term with Melbourne Victory will extend beyond the nine matches specified by his guest player’s contract.
Both club and player are hoping that veteran Thai striker Sutee Suksomkit’s term with Melbourne Victory will extend beyond the nine matches specified by his guest player’s contract.
The 31-year-old, who’s made 60 international appearances for his country, trained with his new team-mates including the Victory’s other new signing, Marvin Angulo of Costa Rica, at a showery and windswept Olympic Park on Wednesday and said the cold would take some getting used to after being based in Singapore for the past nine years.
He said he was surprised by the Victory’s interest in him as a short-term replacement up front for Danny Allsopp, but believes he can make an immediate impact.
“I think I will enjoy the style of game played here and I believe in myself that I can play here,” said a smiling Suksomkit, who prefers to be known by his nickname ‘Bert’.
“The Australian people are big and strong and I am small so I have to play fast … but it’s like a jigsaw for me to come here and play and make the team stronger.”
Asked whether he would like to stay beyond his nine-match stint which the club expects will start against Adelaide United at Etihad Stadium on Saturday week, Suksomkit said:
“I will try to play well for three months, but if I’ve got a chance to play (on) then I will try to extend (my term) to play.”
Melbourne Victory football operations manager Gary Cole said the January transfer window may make it possible for both parties to keep the arrangement going.
“We’ve still got a spot in our squad for January, so if things work out well and we can convince him to stay and he likes Australia – as long as the weather improves,” he said.
Cole said that while Suksomkit’s style was very different from Allsopp’s he has plenty to offer the Victory in attack.
“For us this is an ability to get another striker into the squad,” said Cole.
“Maybe guest players might be looked on as marquee-type players to draw on but that isn’t what we’ve done here.”
“This is a way of getting a very experienced international footballer that scored recently against Liverpool into our squad to strengthen it, so it’s been a very strategic move for us.”
Suksomkit said one of the attractions of coming to Melbourne was the opportunity to link up with Surat Sukha with whom he’d played in the Thai national team on a couple of occasions.
“He’s a good boy, a good young player, a very nice guy – I am so happy to join with him,” said Suksomkit.
