By ROY WARD
FORMER Scotland-based player Matthew Park’s decision to join Victorian Premier League champions Dandenong Thunder is his second chance at professional football.
The 24 year old has spent the better part of the past seven years playing in Scotland after leaving the Frankston area as a teenager to play with Scottish Premier League club Hearts.
Park did his football apprenticeship as a Hearts youth player and moved up to the reserves and some bench selections for the senior side, although he was never able to get a chance to make his debut for the senior side.
But a knee injury led the club to loan him out to several second division clubs in past seasons and after doing his knee for the second time, Park decided to come home to Melbourne.
Park returned to Melbourne in the later stages of last winter and watched a few VPL sides during the finals.
After speaking with former teammate and Dandenong Thunder premiership captain Shane Rexhepi, Park met with Thunder coach Chris Taylor, trained with the club and soon signed for the 2013 season.
Park said he wanted to press his claims to A-League clubs after being away from home his whole career.
“Hopefully I can get a chance, let’s see how it goes,” he said. “If I can stay injury free and have a good year I’m hoping someone sees me and I get another chance at professional football. You never know what can happen in this game, things can change quickly.”
Park said he would always consider being in the Hearts squad while playing at Celtic Park a career highlight along with playing in a youth cup final at the same venue.
Park will add versatility to the Thunder squad as he can play left back, which is his favoured position, along with left midfield, central defender or even central midfield.
After playing more recently with East Fife in the Scottish second division, Park said he was used to playing at semi-professional level, the same as teams in the VPL.
“A lot of the players at East Fife had jobs and trained in the evenings. I would go back to Hearts and train, then join the East Fife boys for trainings on Tuesday and Thursday, so in that way it was similar to VPL,” he said.
“I know the VPL is a very strong competition because of how many players go from the VPL to the A League.”
Park said his match fitness was improving with each week after not playing since Christmas and he was enjoying playing under Taylor.
“My fitness was lacking a bit but it’s coming back slowly and with each session we go a bit harder so I’m enjoying it,” Park said.
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