Fast start: Adrian Mierzejewski was man of the match in the FFA Cup quarter-final between Sydney FC and Melbourne City FC at Leichhardt Oval. Credit:AAP Before moving to the cashed-up giants of Riyadh at the age of 27, Mierzejewski was regarded as one of the more promising talents of an emerging force in European football. A technically superb winger equally adept at playing behind the striker, he possesses an enviable passing range, dangerous mobility and a decent eye for goal. In just three years, he amassed 40 appearances for his country. He played twice during Euro 2012 on home soil sharing a dressing room with a young Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund pair Lukasz Piszcek and Jakub Blaszczykowski as well as then-Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. But in sacrificing a blossoming club career in Europe in favour of financial moves for his family, Mierzejewski lost his place in a national team that was on course to become one of the continent's best. The doors of PZPN shut on Mierzejewski, but they weren't locked. Poland are now on track to qualify for their first World Cup in 12 years and Mierzejewski still has a chance to be a part of that. If that is to happen, he needs to play at a higher level and that's when Sydney FC arrived with their offer.

"That's why I didn't sign a contract in Saudi Arabia or renew my contract in the Emirates because the Australian league is stronger than the Middle Eastern leagues," he said. His deal inside the salary cap at Sydney FC was far from the most financially rewarding on offer but having made his money and still in his prime at 30, bank balances were never going to influence his next transfer. "This is an opportunity to show myself and hopefully I'll have an opportunity to come back [for the national team]. We're first in the qualification group for the World Cup. I played in the Euro 2012 but this is a much bigger tournament," he said. If Sydney FC was the team Mierzejewski believed would springboard his international career, his move was a significant compliment to the growing standard of the A-League. That much was reinforced by a reference from former ​Trabzonspor teammate and Sydney FC striker, Marc Janko. ​"I checked the league table from last season and I saw Sydney FC were the champions and it was a good opportunity to come back to better football at a better level," Mierzejewski said. "Also, the Asian Champions league is a good opportunity to show myself."

The club too showed their faith in Mierzejewski, offering him a three-year contract as his first deal - almost unheard of for new foreign signings in the salary cap-constrained A-League. His first start hinted as to why he was the exception. A man-of-the-match performance in Sydney FC's FFA Cup quarter-final victory over Melbourne City that earned him a standing ovation from his new fans. That performance, according to his new coach Graham Arnold, was less than a third of what he is capable of. As he prepares for his A-League debut against Melbourne Victory in a fortnight, theres' no hiding the undercurrent of patriotism for Mierzejewski. He arrives as the first Polish visa-player in a country that boasts a diaspora of more than 170,000. It's a move coinciding with a football renaissance of Poland not witnessed since the Grzegorz Lato-inspired team of the 1970s. He may not be as famous as Lewandowski but, to many in his community, Mierzejewski still represents that meteoric rise to sixth in the world rankings. "I met some Polish friends and they told me they're starting to be interested in Sydney FC now, they are buying memberships," he said. Loading