NEW Adelaide United signing Karim Matmour had flashbacks of his time at Huddersfield Town when watching his Reds team-mates play a midweek “friendly.”

Adelaide’s 1-1 draw with Campbelltown City on Wednesday, 48 hours after landing in Australia for the first time, gave Matmour an insight on what to expect in the A-League physically.

As meaty tackles flew thick and fast, Matmour also noticed the ball was turned over frequently. That happened often in the English Championship where The Terriers’ fans hold him in high esteem after he scored against Leeds United in the West Yorskhire derby in a 4-1 win at Elland Road in 2016.

“I see this (A-League) is different football, but I played in the Championship, and that is very physical too,’’ Matmour said.

“I needed a month to adapt in the Championshiop because it was a different style of football to Germany, a lot more physical.

“I might need some small details to adapt here, but football is football.”

Matmour, 32, is a slim chance to play in Wednesday’s FFA Cup clash against Melbourne Victory at Marden where ticket sales are on track for a capacity crowd of 6000.

But he said meeting French 1998 FIFA World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane was one of the most defining moments of his life.

He chose Adelaide because he wanted a new challenge and to do something completely different.

Matmour, like Zidane, was born in France to Algerian parents.

The Juventus and Real Madrid legend, current coach of the Spanish giant and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, paid the Algerian national team a surprise visit before the African Cup of Nations in Angola in 2009.

Algeria won third place at the tournament with Matmour scoring a vital goal in the quarter-final in a 3-2 win over Didier Drogba’s Cote d’Ivoire.

“It was a big surprise when I met him (Zidane) with the team,’’ Matmour said.

“He spoke with us and when I was a child, he was No. 1.

“I wanted to play football because I saw him play, he was one of the main reasons.

“He followed us (the Algerian national team) and he was at some games at the (2010 FIFA) World Cup.

“He’s a nice guy and we keep in touch through mutual friends.”

But while Matmour remains in awe of Zidane who is regarded as world football royalty, his pending debut in the A-League will also be historic.

He is destined to become the first Algerian to play in the competition, with SA again at the fore of giving Africans football opportunities first, 46 years after Ghanaian international Edson Annan donned an Adelaide Juventus shirt in 1971.

“We will see if it’s good (to be the first Algerian),’’ Matmour said with a smile.

“But even in Algeria they spoke about this (me being the first) because it’s unusual.

“And there’s not many French players that played here as well (after Matthieu Delpierre and William Gallas).”

The former Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintract Frankfurt and 1860 TSV Munich attacker played most of his 101 Bundesliga matches as a right winger (32 times), followed by centre forward (23), left winger (16), secondary striker (9) and right midfielder (6).

At the FIFA 2010 World Cup he played as a No. 9 for Algeria in a 0-0 draw with Fabio Capello’s England in South Africa which was book ended by a 1-0 loss to Slovenia and a 1-0 loss to US.

Karim Matmour in action

And with the A-League kick-off still 51 days away, Matmour is working hard to be at peak fitness by October 8, when United travels to Welington to face Phoenix in the opening round.

But what is making pre-season a breeze is the friendliness of his new team-mates. Matmour says he had many offers before choosing United as his new destination.

“The coach was there (Marco Kurz in Germany) and I spoke with (football director) Ante (Kovacevic) many times and I spoke with some friends about this league and I think it’s a good choice,’’ he said.

“I had many opportunities but I chose Adelaide because I had the best feeling.

“Not only for football but the experience for my family, it’s something completely different.

“I played 14 years in Germany and in Europe and I wanted something totally different.

“But the guys are really good and even in the club, everybody is ready to help me, to make me feel good and my family.”

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