Adrian Segecic has departed Sydney FC to join EFL Championship outfit Portsmouth in England.
The joint Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Golden Boot winner swaps the Sky Blues for Portsmouth on a three-year deal following the conclusion of his Sydney FC contract.
While the 21-year-old was a free agent, Sydney will receive a substantial six-figure fee in training compensation for the talented Australian attacker, who scored a competition-high 13 goals and 18 across all competitions.
Segecic joins the A-Leagues revolution at Fratton Park, where Hayden Matthews (Sydney FC), Jacob Farrell (Central Coast Mariners) and Thomas Waddingham (Brisbane Roar) have all been prised from the Australian league over the past 12 months.
“I’m honestly devastated to be leaving Sydney FC – this club has been my home for almost a decade,” said Segecic, who spent nine years at the club having progressed through the academy system.
“But I know I have to test myself and find out how far I can take my career. I’m so excited for what’s ahead of me in England, but I’ll always be grateful to Sydney FC for the incredible opportunities they’ve given me.
“Thank you to all my coaches, the staff, my teammates and of course to the amazing Members and fans who have supported me every step of the way.”
Sydney made a “number of strong offers to retain his services” but the highly-rated forward wanted to move abroad.
“Adrian was exceptional last season. His hunger to improve and his desire to perform every week really stood out,” said Sky Blues head coach Ufuk Talay.
“He absolutely deserves this opportunity. While we would have loved to keep him at Sydney FC, he’s determined to test himself in one of the toughest leagues in world football, and we’re proud that our pathway has enabled him to do that.
“Everyone at the club wishes Adrian the very best in the next chapter of his career. He’s a homegrown boy done good, and we’d love to see him back in Sky Blue one day.”
He also claimed a host of Sydney FC’s end-of-season awards – Player of the Year, Members’ Player of the Year and the Golden Boot.
“Adrian is a really exciting young player – one of the hottest prospects coming out of Australia at the moment,” said Portsmouth boss John Mousinho.
“He was top scorer in the A-League last season and collected plenty of individual awards, while gaining recognition further afield as well.
“We’ve already had some success with bringing people over from that part of the world and we hope that Adrian can now make a real impact at Pompey.
“He’s very attack-minded and is happy as a winger or in the number 10 role. He’s creative and plays with plenty of energy, so we’re delighted to have him here with us.”
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