NPL Victoria side Avondale FC has pulled off a coup, signing FFA Cup hero Tasuku Sekiya from APIA Leichhardt.
The 26-year-old famously produced a star performance in the 2018 FFA Cup for APIA, scoring a double in their 3-2 round of 16 win over Melbourne Victory.
Sekiya also won the ‘Player Of The Year’ award for ‘The Tigers’ in what was a fantastic season for him.
“It was the best game of my life,” Sekiya said.
“I couldn’t remember anything that happened during the game because I was so nervous!”
The Japanese speedster’s story is an interesting one, where he balanced his football with his job as a kitchen hand at the Sydney Opera House.
However, Sekiya felt that a move to Victoria would bolster his chances at potentially making the move to the A-League one day.
“We (APIA) did well in the FFA Cup, but I didn’t have a chance to get an A-League contract so I felt that I had to change something,” Sekiya said.
“I spoke to the Avondale coach and obviously they have two players who got contracts with Elvis Kamsoba and Kaine Sheppard going to the Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets,”
“So I felt that Avondale has given me the best chance to get an A-League contract.”
The signing is a boost for the ‘Avengers’, who want to go one step further this season – they lost 2-1 to Heidelberg United in last year’s Grand Final after finishing third in the regular season.
Sekiya may also be able to repeat his FFA Cup heroics this year for Avondale, who forced Sydney FC into extra time at home in the quarter-finals of the 2018 edition.
Avondale’s new signing will be one to watch this coming NPL Victoria season.
