Evan Berger may have been Glory’s lucky charm over their four-match unbeaten streak, but the defender has still endured a tougher road than many as he looks to get his career back on track after a horror few years with injuries.
Evan Berger may have been Glory’s lucky charm over their four-match unbeaten streak, but the defender has still endured a tougher road than many as he looks to get his career back on track after a horror few years with injuries.
It appeared the sky was the limit for Berger, when he played a big role Melbourne Victory’s Hyundai A-League championship in 2008-09 at just 21 years of age.
But from then on, a series of long-term injuries saw the diminutive defender struggle to gain a permanent position in the Victory side, ultimately seeing the 24-year-old head west for better opportunities at Glory.
But before Berger could properly show his wares with Perth, he injured his knee just before the season began before tearing his hamstring as he looked to come back into the team through the National Youth League.
“It’s been a bit of a frustrating run to start this season,” said Berger.
“But hopefully I’ve got over those couple of issues and there’s plenty of football left to be played for the rest of the season, so hopefully I can be involved in that as much as possible.”
“It’s probably a double-edged sword,” Berger added, when asked whether all the injuries have still helped him develop more through watching and learning.
“It probably has stalled all my development and stuff, not being able to play as many matches, but on the flipside to that I have learnt a hell of a lot about my body and about preparing it and what works for me.”
“And Fergie’s (coach Ian Ferguson) been really good and really patient.”
“The physios have done a brilliant job to get me back on the park, so hopefully now I can get a bit of a roll on and try and repay the faith that Fergie’s had in me.”
Since Berger returned to the team on New Years Eve, as 10-man Glory bravely held on for a 1-1 draw with Newcastle, Perth haven’t lost a match, going on a four-game unbeaten run and winning the last two on the road against Wellington and Melbourne Heart.
“I don’t know being a lucky charm,” he said.
“But we’ve had a pretty good run the last four games, so it’s just been good to be a part of the squad and help the squad win a couple of games.”
As soon as he came onto the ground against Newcastle, Berger looked like a kid in a candy shop, darting around to take possession as much as possible as he helped Glory mount a series of late attacks that almost gave them victory against 11 players.
“It probably is a bit of my natural game trying to get a bit of energy into the team to try and get forward,” Berger said.
“But it’s probably a bit of frustration, I had a really, really long pre-season and then obviously another two months tacked onto the end.”
“And, finally being able to get out on the park and try and show what I could do, it was really exciting to get out there and actually put all that training from the pre-season into an actual match.”
For Berger, playing Wednesday night’s match against Sydney FC in Campbelltown will be something of a homecoming as he, like a famous opponent in Brett Emerton, are both ‘Macarthur (area) products’.
But on Sunday, Berger will also have to deal with facing his old team-mates as Melbourne Victory travel to Perth for the first time this season.
“It will be the first time I come up against them,” he said as he waits for former room-mate Grant Brebner to start the pre-match text sledging.
“I’m looking really forward and excited to play against a lot of former team-mates, which will be a great occasion.”
