It is still only the opening week of pre season but new signing Daniel Bowles is already making a positive impression.
It is still only the opening week of pre season but new signing Daniel Bowles is already making a positive impression.
The 20 year old from the Queensland town of Toowoomba has settled into his new surroundings and like many of his Reds team mates, has shown impressive results in the squad-s early testing.
Having signed with the Reds back in March following 11 appearances and two goals last season for the now defunct Gold Coast United, Bowles like many of the other Gold Coast youngsters given a chance to prove themselves in the Hyundai A-League, showed he has the attributes to perform at professional senior level.
United Coach John Kosmina identified Bowles- versatility, large aerobic capacity, sound technical ability and natural athleticism as strengths the right sided former AIS and Queensland Institute of Sport product brings to the squad.
While it takes any player awhile to settle into a new squad, Bowles portrays a relatively shy, quiet natured and well mannered young man. Although underneath this reserved nature there is definitely a sense of excitement about him as he begins his time as a Red, particularly with the added bonus of being part of United-s ongoing run in the AFC Champions League.
“It-s very exciting times ahead at the club and it was great to be able to come to a club with a great history,” Bowles said.
“We-ve got the Asian Champions League (Quarter Finals) coming up so it was even more reason to sign and there are a great bunch of boys here so it-s really exciting.”
“It was such a young team (at Gold Coast United) and we were all just playing for our futures because we didn-t know if the club was going to be around and I was lucky enough to get an opportunity down here.”
Bowles showed in his time at Gold Coast United that he is a more than competent right back but can also play higher up the field on the right, evidenced when he found the back of the net twice last season. Whatever role he is called to play for the Reds, Bowles- focus is solely on giving his best every time he is on the pitch and doing everything he can to achieve success for the team.
“I just want to work as hard as possible for the team, get up and down the right wing and give as much as possible to help the team to get the right results,” Bowles said.
Making the move further away from home has been made easier for Bowles in that his girlfriend has also come across to Adelaide and found work as a nurse. Bowles admits having his girlfriend and fellow Gold Coast United midfielder Jake Barker-Daish in Adelaide has made the transition easier, and he says he is quickly getting to know how to find his way around.
Contracted until the end of the 2013/14 season, Bowles has plenty of time to enjoy and become familiar with what Adelaide has to offer. After being told about them in his first few days since he arrived, one of the first things you might catch Bowles doing is stopping into his local corner store to grab a packet of Fruchocs, the popular chocolates with the apricot centre you can only get in South Australia.
