MELBOURNE City’s Ben Garuccio’s distressed expression when he collided with good mate Stefan Mauk during Friday night’s blockbuster told a thousand tales which span a decade.

But now gossip circulating the soccer circles suggest the former Adelaide City youngster could return home to play for Adelaide United from the new 2016/17 season, despite having another year on his City contract.

Garuccio, 20, was outstanding at left back for City in the billionaires 1-0 win at Coopers Stadium.

He is the obvious answer to the Reds problematic left back position which has been a problem for the Reds since Cassio quit the club after Adelaide’s 2014 FFA Cup win.

Tarek Elrich has filled the left back spot with poise but he’s not a natural left footer — like Garuccio or Cassio.

And where he is playing may be possibly be affecting his chances of playing for Ange Postecoglou’s Socceroos.

Postecoglou capped Elrich three times last year after an outstanding 2014/15 season at right back for the Reds.

With Mauk jagging Cassio’s old No. 6 once he shifted from City to Adelaide last month because he wanted to pay tribute to Cassio — United’s best ever left back — the number wouldn’t go astray on Garuccio’s back next season.

But it would take another extraordinary deal from the Reds general manager of football Ante Kovacevic who completed the Reds best ever mid season signing when landing Mauk.

And with City and Adelaide having one of the tightest club relationships in the A-League, the possibility of landing Garuccio is very real.