It has been a part of him since he was a kid, so Daniel Georgievski always had the feeling he would end up at the Western Sydney Wanderers one day.
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Mind you, it took some 12 years for the classy full-back to find his way back home to the heart of Blacktown, but now that he is back he could not be happier.
One of the Wanderers key off-season signings, Georgievski, an infectious character who instantly brightens up the mood whenever he is around, has settled into his new surrounds as if he had never been away.
It is not surprising given he spent a lot of his childhood in Woodcroft, which is a mere stone’s throw from the club’s brand-new training complex in Blacktown.
“One day,” he said when asked if he thought football would eventually bring him back home.
“Even while I was playing overseas, I still had that connection. I would come back home in the off-season and stay with the family. I would run around Woodcroft Lakes to keep up my fitness levels.”
Georgievski left Australia as a teenager in 2007 to forge a successful club career overseas in Croatia and Romania, as well as earning international status with Macedonia along the way.
Seven years later, Georgievski was lured back to Australia and the Hyundai A-League, spending three seasons with Melbourne Victory where he won the Premiership-Championship double, and then two seasons with the Newcastle Jets before the Wanderers came calling.
While he is delighted to be at the Wanderers, Georgievski says he is more happy for his family.
“I left for overseas 13 years ago and for my family to be able to see me play now on a regular basis, especially in Western Sydney, is amazing for them and me,” he said.
Having missed the game against Leeds United in July, Georgievski can’t wait to taste the experience at Bankwest Stadium when the Wanderers open their Hyundai A-League season against the Central Coast Mariners.
“It is going to be exciting. Unfortunately, I didn’t play the Leeds game,” he said.
“But, this is a proper Hyundai A-League game and we are playing for competition points.
“It’s been a long pre-season so I can’t wait to get out there and for the team to show what we have got.”
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Georgievski won’t have to wait long to experience his first taste of the Sydney Derby with the Wanderers hosting the fixture in Round 3 at Wanderland.
Having played Derbies overseas as well as in the Melbourne Derby, the 31-year-old understands the significance for the club and the fans.
“I think the Sydney Derby is probably better,” he added.
“Maybe it will mean more to me because my family will be there and it is not just a random of them flying to Melbourne just for one game.”
