Brett Emerton has never chased attention but now he's going to be the centre of it. Stardom has come late for a player whose record on the pitch suggests it should have arrived well before now. Second-highest number of caps (87) for his country, captain of his country at the 2000 Olympic Games, eight years and almost 250 games in the English Premier League. At the age of 32, ''Emmo'' is a star. But not everyone knows that. ''He's never chased the spotlight, it's not his style,'' says his dad, Mick. Now he's got no choice. After being unveiled as Sydney FC's new marquee player yesterday, the spotlight is now chasing him.

Emerton quit the EPL at the weekend, being made skipper for his final appearance for Blackburn Rovers, and then jumped on a plane to start the final chapter of his career back in his home town. The Sky Blues' vice-chairman, Scott Barlow, co-incidentally, was on the same plane from Dubai and they got time to have a chat once Emerton made the walk down from first-class. Barlow later got to present him with his no. 7 shirt at a media conference, but on the way in Emerton would have noticed the huge billboard at the entrance of the Sydney Football Stadium: ''Sydney FC welcomes Brett Emerton.'' And then it was into the blizzard of flashing cameras and a congested press room.

Here at last ... Brett Emerton arrives at a press conference for his new club, Sydney FC. Credit:Brendan Esposito

Eleven years earlier, Emerton's departure from Sydney Olympic was noted by a devoted few. His return home was an event. Part testimony to his achievements since, but also a sign of changing times. Being the face of Sydney FC means just that, and after a lifetime of going quietly about his business Emerton is old enough, and wise enough, to deal with it. ''I wouldn't have made the decision I have if I wasn't ready for it [attention],'' he said, as his dad and his mum, Lyn, watched proudly from the corner of the room.

Emerton knows - as his family, his manager, Simon Konstantinidis, and his new employers have told him - that it's not just about what he does on the park over the next three seasons. The needs of the media, sponsors, and the fans, are going to take up plenty of his time. His first Sydney FC shirt, for instance, was promptly signed in front of the cameras, and will now be drawn as a prize for members. As the phone rings off the hook, the chief executive of Sydney FC, Dirk Melton, is becoming confident that his target of 10,000 members - an increase of about 25 per cent - will be met.