If Mathew Leckie’s football career has not fast tracked enough already in the last two years, it is on the brink of taking another enormous leap as he prepares for a move to the German Bundesliga.
Leckie-s explosion onto the Hyundai A-League scene had football fans sitting up and taking notice of the teenager who had been plucked from Melbourne-s State League. Leckie-s impact for the Reds quickly made him one of the most exciting prospects in the league, and despite being on the other side of the globe, this unique talent was something that did not escape the attention of Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.
The German club swooped to quickly declare their interest in acquiring Leckie-s services, and after keeping a close eye on his successful recovery from a knee injury that saw him miss 13 games during the season, it is now almost a given that the excitement machine will head to the club located in the west of Germany.
A medical test is seen as the only thing that is keeping Leckie-s move to Monchengladbach from being a done deal, but he is expected to leave for Germany to undergo the medical within the next week.
“I-ll definitely be heading over to Germany in the next week but there hasn-t been a date set yet, so we-ve just got to work out a few things and go from there,” Leckie said.
“The only thing that needs to be done is the medical test, so hopefully there are no problems there and I-ll be signed with them and I-m really looking forward to it.”
Much has been made of Leckie-s meteoric rise from the suburban fields of Melbourne to being on the cusp of selection for the Qantas Socceroos and deal to play in Europe. The remarkable rapidness of Leckie-s football journey is something he says he has become accustomed to answering.
“Of course I pinch myself all the time. Two years ago I was in State League 1 in Melbourne playing for Bulleen Royals and then it sort of happened really fast from there,” Leckie said.
“I started getting in the mix with the Australian Under 19 squad and then Adelaide United spoke to me and I signed over here. They gave me the opportunity and I took it, so that was something special for me, and now it-s hopefully heading over to Germany and moving forward in my career.”
“I think every footballer wants to do the best that they can at the sport they love and my plan is to go over there, work hard, do my best, adapt to the football that-s played over there and hopefully get to that level,” Leckie said.
“It-s going to be tough but you hear from Australian players that are doing it, so I don-t see why you can-t achieve it.”
If the deal does go ahead, Leckie will join a Monchengladbach side that currently occupies the bottom of the Bundesliga table after 25 games, although they did take all three points in their last outing in a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim.
But before he thinks too far ahead and farewells Adelaide and a club where he has become a crowd favourite at Hindmarsh, Leckie paid tribute to Adelaide United and the club-s legion of fans, and did not shut the door on possibly being back in Reds shirt again one day.
“Ever since I-ve been here (in Adelaide) it has been incredible, not just the football side of things but the State itself. It has felt like home and playing in front of great crowds consistently, you can-t ask for anything else,” Leckie said.
“The fans have been great, they-re always here, they-re always shouting out for us, so if I was to come back and play in the A-League, I-d like to say I-d be a big chance to play back here.”
Leckie has made 35 appearances and scored eight goals in two Hyundai A-League seasons, while he also played six games and found the back of the net twice during the Reds- 2010 AFC champions League campaign.
