Jordan Bos celebrates the premiership with the City faithful. (Photo: Melbourne City FC)
It was a matter of when, not if, Melbourne City’s Jordan Bos would move to Europe following the left-back’s scintillating A-League Men campaign this season.
On Tuesday, that day arrived, with it being announced that Jordan Bos would be crossing to top-flight Belgian side KVC Westerlo.
Westerlo will fork out a handsome $2 million for the 20-year-old, making it the record outbound transfer fee for an Australian-based player.
Bos however is more concerned with how he’ll fit in and progress at Westerlo.
“I think Westerlo like the way I play, my attacking qualities and also defensively as well. I think they just want me to continue to do what I do here and help them out as well,” Bos told media on Tuesday.
“Something that’s really important to me – and my dad and my agent – was to get as many minutes as possible, and I think Westerlo gives me that opportunity.
“And in a good team and a good league. It gives me the best chance of success there.”
The advice Bos received from his European teammates was similar.
He revealed they told him to “go somewhere where you’ll get minutes, don’t look at the pay cheque, look at the availability and how you’ll fit into the team”.
“If you go somewhere too big you’ll get lost there.”
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On loan from Club Brugge, Maxim De Cuyper – the man Bos will be replacing – has excelled in the left-back position for Westerlo this season.
While it means expectations may be high, it also bodes well for Bos.
“(De Cuyper’s) been one of their standouts this season, so I think going over there I’ve got some shoes to fill,” Bos said.
“Knowing that they like their fullbacks and play around their fullbacks is good for me, and I’m involved in their squad a lot more.”
Understandably, a humble Bos is still coming to terms with how quickly he’s progressed.
“It’s just all come together a bit, everything’s lined up for me. All the training, and all the effort I’ve put in in the past has finally started paying off here, and I just got a couple of opportunities, and I think I took them,” he said.
“(I’m) Just thrilled. To be fair it hasn’t really sunk in yet, everything’s moved so fast from just two years ago only training with the A-League side, not even on the bench, to last season getting a couple of games, then this season playing pretty much all of them.
“It’s moved so fast, and I made my Socceroos debut as well.
“It’s been an amazing season for me.”
That it has, for Bos became Socceroo no. 632 in the March friendlies against Ecuador, and has been a staple of the dominant Melbourne City side that claimed their third successive premiership last month.
City and Sydney FC are locked at 1-1 in their semi-final clash, with Friday night’s second leg at AAMI Park set to decide who progresses to the grand final.
Despite the upcoming transfer, Bos won’t be distracted from the task at hand with City.
“I think I do pretty well keeping myself grounded and focused,” he said.
“I don’t think all these outside things are gonna affect me too much. I don’t think it’s completely sunk in any way, so that makes it pretty easy to concentrate on the here and now and get some results in the next couple of games, focusing on Friday.
“The boys are looking good, very hungry and keen, hopefully, we get the result.”
Following the APL’s decision to sell the next three A-Leagues grand finals to New South Wales, Friday night’s clash will be the last time Bos plays in front of his home fans at AAMI Park, regardless of the result.
But he didn’t go as far as saying it’s goodbye forever.
“The fans are really important, the years of support, especially to me throughout my career here, they’ve been great,” he said.
“Hopefully on Friday, I get to say my goodbyes.
“Maybe not for the last time, but hopefully for a while.”
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