News

Rozic back and looking to make his mark

Rozic has not featured in the United line-up since the 1-1 draw with Central Coast Mariners back in round two and his towering presence at the back has been missed by Miron Bleiberg’s men.

But after patiently overcoming his knee complaint, the 190cm centre-half is back in contention for a starting spot and can’t wait to help his side begin their climb up the Hyundai A-League ladder. 

“It’s always frustrating when you’re injured and cannot help your teammates. I’ve been working hard to come back from my injury and hopefully I can now make a good contribution to the team,” Rozic said.

“I feel good again and it’s nice to be back in the squad. So far we’ve not had the results we expected, but it will get better for us and I obviously want to help as much as I can.

“The ten minutes I had last week were good for me and I didn’t have any problems with my knee, which is the main thing. I’ve trained well and I feel ready to play so hopefully I will get my chance.”

While eager to play his part in revitalising his team’s fortunes, Rozic said a collective effort from the eleven players on the field is the best form of defence, along with the spirit of the Gold Coast squad which he says is as unified as ever.  

“Defending is the responsibility of the whole team and it doesn’t come down to just one player - we need a little bit more luck as well,” he said.

“We’ve showed already that the team has character. It’s not easy to come back from 2-0 down against a team like Melbourne Victory. We have stuck together all season and we will continue to do that because our unity will get us going in the right direction.”

Before departing for Perth yesterday Rozic reserved a cheeky word for former Gold Coast United striker Shane Smeltz who is in line to make his first appearance against his old club on Saturday.

Smeltz has notched four strikes in the purple of Perth so far this term, but Rozic warned the goal machine that he shouldn’t expect to add to his tally on Saturday.

“Smeltz is obviously a very good player and a very good striker,” Rozic said. “But we will go into the game with determination and confidence - he will not score against us!” he declared.

The two sides in Saturday’s clash will also compete for the Iron Ore Cup, a perpetual trophy between the two teams created by Gold Coast owner Clive Palmer and Glory owner Tony Sage. United currently have possession of the cup after overcoming Perth 2-1 the last time the two clubs met at the tail end of last season, ironically thanks to a brace of penalties from Shane Smeltz.