SERGINHO van Dijk will make his return to Adelaide United after FIFA’s international transfer certificate arrived at Reds headquarters three hours before the AFC Champions League deadline yesterday.

Van Dijk, 33, is expected to join Marcelo Carrusca, Isaias and Sergio Cirio as the club’s foreign contingent according to the Asian Football Confederation sources.

Adelaide will play China’s Shandong Luneng in the sudden-death Champions League play off at Hindmarsh on Tuesday.

With van Dijk’s Champions League services now booked Adelaide is also on the verge of announcing a government sponsor.

But how much money the government is prepared to tip in — as Adelaide becomes a rolling advertisement for potentially billions of people in Asia — depends on whether United survives the sudden death clash.

It’s understood the deal is valued at about $115,000 if the Reds make it to the group stage.

If Adelaide does get through, the Reds will join Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, South Korea’s FC Seoul and Thailand’s Buriram United in six home-and-away Group F matches.

The Reds first group match would be on Tuesday, February 23, playing Sanfrecce away after facing Melbourne Victory away four days prior.

Brisbane Roar will then face the Reds at Hindmarsh home on Saturday, February 27.

But van Dijk is looming to be the only Reds frontman with Champions League experience.

Van Dijk has scored five Champions League goals in 19 appearances which is a handy return in Asia’s No. 1 club competition.

He has already scored a brilliant goal for the Reds in Asia in a super 2-0 win over Shandong Luneng in Jinan in 2010.

The prolific goalscorer has averaged a goal nearly every two matches during his A-League stints with Adelaide and Brisbane Roar.