When Sydney FC were in negotiations to sign their previous marquee, Marc Janko called James Rodriguez, Hulk and Joao Moutinho his teammates. He was playing international football, scoring regularly for both club and country and was still celebrating a major league title. Yet unlike the arrival of Alessandro Del Piero, Janko's emergence at Sydney Airport was not met with the fanfare of hundreds.
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He is a stark contrast to the "little artist" who graced Sydney for two years. In many ways, that is what made him the top transfer target of new coach Graham Arnold.
Despite the influx of CVs for potential marquee players, some smaller, quicker or more creative, the near two-metre tall Austrian stood out in the eyes of the new Sydney FC boss. As one member of the coaching staff said: "As soon as we knew he was available, we wanted him."
By his own admission, he doesn't dribble past players with ease nor is he a free-kick specialist but he has other qualities that signal a new style of football at Moore Park. His towering frame makes him a threat in the air and his physicality equips him to outmuscle even the sternest of A-League defenders yet it is his composure with the ball at his feet that caught the attention of the Sky Blues. Equally adept on his left or right foot, and able to finish from anywhere inside the box, the 31-year-old was identified as the complete target man.
He is a signing that defines a new direction at the club. He is a marquee who flourishes best in a well-drilled team instead of needing a system of play tailored to his role. The club even reserved the No.10 jersey for his arrival but he chose 21.
"If you're not a team on the pitch, you can have Messi and it won't make a difference," Janko said. "The team must work well together in an offensive way and a defensive way and, if we can work that out, we will have a great and bright future."
In the eyes of many in Australia, this move flew under the radar but the Austrian captain has had his share of success. A return of two goals every three games for Red Bull Salzburg guided the club to three league titles and also earned him a move to the Dutch Eredivisie with FC Twente. His scoring rate dropped, slightly, to a goal every other game but he continued to provide decisive moments, such as an extra-time winner over Ajax in the 2011 Dutch Cup.
A stint at Porto, alongside now Real Madrid star Rodriguez, gave him another winners medal but the resulting move to Turkish club Trabzonspor threatened to derail his career.
A turbulent two years, in which four coaches came and went, led to a spell in the footballing equivalent of solitary confinement. He was made a scapegoat for a 3-0 loss to rivals Fenerbahce and banished from the rest of the team for all training sessions and games. As injuries took their toll, he had only one outlook on his time in the Super Lig.
"It was like a nightmare, but it's over now," he said. "When I look back at it, I'm sometimes really proud of myself that I did this thing without going mad."
His escape from the Black Sea made his next move one of the most important of his career. Offers amassed, most from Europe, but the most exotic was the one that stood out. Despite the difficulties at his club, his position in the Austrian national team had grown and he assumed the captaincy.
He has now decided to potentially jeopardise his status in the national team by moving to the other side of the world, where the tyranny of distance may destabilise his role. The strong pursuit from Sydney FC and Arnold made it easy for Janko to make the sacrifice.
"I had a positive feeling and I think if you have a positive feeling towards something, you should do it," Janko said."The coach made a big effort to sign me, he called me every three days on my vacation and it was important for me to move to a good club after my nightmare in Turkey. It's really important that the coach knows who I am and which kind of person I am on the field and off the field."
Away from the game, Janko has a passion for fine-dining, cinema, opera and hopes to add to those interests by joining Sydney's love for rugby league and cricket. If he rekindles his prowess in front of goal, he may discover the only thing the city loves more than those passions, is a winner.
