A LOT has changed since Brisbane Roar midfielder Jesse Daley last played at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium.

Back then Daley was just an aspiring junior representing Queensland in the under-14 FFA National Boys Championship.

Now he’s a young man who’s returned to his hometown after spending three years playing in the United States with the Tacoma Defiance near Seattle.

“I loved my three years there,” Daley said.

“Actually I went over there with John Hutchison who played for the Mariners and it was a great experience, a really good learning curve.

“We were in a full time environment and had to travel across the country in pretty tough conditions to play some games.

“Being a professional player there’s a lot of different things you need to do to make sure you’re able to play every week and there are some big sacrifices you need to make to do that.

“Playing over there gave me a taste of that.”

Now the former Young Socceroo said returning home to play is a great situation.

“I’m loving it, it’s great to be back in my hometown,” he said.

“My whole family is in Brisbane and my friends as well.

“To come back and be able to play in front of family is pretty special.”

So far the Roar haven’t met any A-League opponents in their pre-season friendlies so Saturday night’s clash against Newcastle in Coffs Harbour will be a litmus test ahead of the Roar’s season opener on 29 December.

“The pre-season has been good so far with a few new faces lining up with the squad,” the 22 year-old said.

“We’re trying to understand each other and build partnerships and relationships between each other and obviously the real test is about to come with A-League opposition.

“But there’s a lot of quality in the team, a lot of good players. We’re not putting any ceiling on what we can achieve this season, said Daley.

 

By Brad GREENSHIELDS