From Dario Bodrušić to Jordy Thomassen and Andwélé Slory, Adelaide United have had their fair share of flops but who stood out as the clubs best ever import?
6. Marcos Flores
The Argentine maestro. Flores may have only played 38 times for Adelaide but that was enough to cement his legendary status.
He provided the league with skill and technique that had rarely been seen.
In his one and only A-League season in red, he scored eight goals and won the Johnny Warren Medal for Player of the Year.
Flores quickly became a fan favourite because of his high-work rate, flair and infectious positive attitude. There are not many players who played for Melbourne Victory and were still loved in Adelaide but Flores was certainly one.
Much like other foreigners, Flores returned to the state in his latter years and currently plays his football with former NSL heavyweights, Adelaide City.
5. Sergio Cirio
The crafty Spanish winger. A Barcelona youth product, Cirio joined Adelaide United in 2013 and went on to make 99 appearances in red.
He scored 20 goals as a pacey winger and like his Spanish compatriots was outstanding in the club’s championship and premiership double in 2015/16. He was also named player of the year in the previous campaign.
Cirio’s ability to drop his shoulder and glide past opposing defenders is what makes him a standout on this list.
4. Sergio Van Dijk
The Dutch-Indonesian goal scorer. Van Dijk initially signed on a six-month contract for Adelaide’s 2010 AFC Champions League campaign but it was not long before he inked a three-year deal.
Famous for scoring goals when they mattered, he certainly knew how to rocket the ball into the back of the net.
He featured prominently in the league’s highest ever winning margin, scoring a hattrick in an 8-1 win over North Queensland Fury.
Van Dijk scored 25 goals in 55 appearances for the Reds and won the golden boot in the 2010/11 season.
To this day he still holds the record for most goals scored in a season at the club.
3. Marcelo Carrusca
The best technical player to ever play for the club. Carrusca played 114 games for the Reds and scored 25 goals as a midfielder.
His ability to dictate play with his slick passing and trickery is what stood out. At his best, the Argentine was one of the most exciting players in the league.
He played a key role in the Reds’ title-winning season as well as their FFA Cup triumph in 2014.
Carrusca spent five years in red before plying his trade for Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers.
It was not long before Carrusca returned and he is now involved in coaching Adelaide’s next generation of Reds.
2. Cássio Oliveira
Cássio, always a red. The most consistent Brazilian A-League player of all time.
Cássio is the most capped foreign player of all time for Adelaide United with 158 appearances.
A left-back by trade, he lit up Hindmarsh on numerous occasions with his attacking runs and scintillating free kicks.
He was instrumental in United’s 2008 AFC Champions League run, assisting all three goals against FC Bunyodkor.
Fans fell in love with Cássio because one more than one occasion he turned down interest from other A-League clubs who had offered more money, stating Adelaide was “like a second home” for him.
He collected two player of the year awards during his time in Red and is immensely loved around Adelaide.
To this day, he still lives in the state and coaches’ local side White City along with his academy, Academia De Futebol by Cássio.
- Isaías Sánchez
The greatest player to ever put on a Reds shirt. Isaías was the complete player with technique, speed and controlled aggression.
A great leader on and off the pitch, he scored ten goals in his 158 United appearances as a deep lying midfielder.
No stranger to accolades, the Spaniard won the player of the year award four times in his six years at Hindmarsh. He was integral in the clubs 2015/16 championship and premiership double, winning the Joe Marston Medal, along with two FFA Cups in 2014 and 2018.
His uncanny ability to control a match of football and completely slow it down to his own pace is what fans will remember most about him.
No player has had such a profound impact on the club. Isaías is a true Adelaide and A-League legend.
Feature image credit: Adelaide United
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