FOUR years after leaving Brisbane Roar, Luke DeVere has returned home keen for a taste of the success the club enjoyed while he was away.

With his contract with South Korean outfit Gyeongnam FC having expired, the former Australia under-23 international defender jumped at the chance to rejoin the Roar until the end of the season.

Now 25, DeVere says he is a “better player and a wiser person” thanks to his stint in South Korea, and believes he can play a leading role in helping the Roar to salvage the defence of their A-League title and mount a successful AFC Champions League tilt.

“The Roar have got a busy campaign coming up and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,” DeVere said.

media_camera Luke DeVere signed to Brisbane Roar. Photo: Ric Frearson

“Brisbane’s a great club and it’s my home city, so it’s a nice fit for me. I’m happy to be back here.’’

The Roar won three championships while DeVere’s was away from the A-League.

He left the club during the first of those title seasons, but he has no regrets about his decision to move despite mixed fortunes, due in part to a serious knee injury, during his time abroad.

“At the time I was confident in it and I still am confident I made the right choice,” said DeVere, who made 86 appearances in all competitions for Gyeongnam.

“To go over there was about experiencing a different league, a sharper league at the time, trying to improve myself as a footballer to hopefully make the next step in my career.

“I was well aware of the fact there was going to be success for that Roar team. I knew I wasn’t leaving them short or underdone, because the players around me were very capable of continuing.”

DeVere returned to Roar training yesterday at Ballymore and was greeted by a host of familiar faces, including Thomas Broich, Henrique, Shane Stefanutto and Jean Carlos Solorzano.

He is Brisbane’s second signing of the transfer window, the other being former Western Sydney Wanderers defender Jerome Polenz.

“The club has had a lot of success in the past,’’ DeVere said. “They probably haven’t got off to the start the staff and the players would have wanted this season, but if you look at the character of a lot of the players, I think everyone’s confident we’ll be able to turn it around and give the second half of the season and the Champions League a real crack.

“I missed out on playing in the Champions League with the Roar in the past so to be coming back now and getting a chance to be playing in it will be a good experience. Hopefully I can add something.”

Today’s A-League games:

1. Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets; 2. Central Coast Mariners v Sydney.

Tips:

Tara Rushton — 1. Adelaide 2. Sydney; Craig Moore — 1. Adelaide 2. Sydney; Marco Monteverde — 1 Adelaide 2. Sydney; Robbie Slater — 1. Adelaide 2. Sydney.