The Hawaiian-born son of a PGA Tour greenkeeper has emerged from the wreckage of Western United’s collapse to become one of the recruiting success stories of the A-League Men season.
Winger Luke Vickery watched on as big-name teammates were picked up when crisis-hit Western were placed into hibernation weeks before the start of the current campaign.
Vickery, who had played just 16 senior games for Western, was worried he wouldn’t be so lucky, and feared the worst for his promising career when told there was little interest for his services in the ALM.
But a last-ditch lifeline from Macarthur kept the 20-year-old in Australia, where Vickery has gone from strength to strength under Mile Sterjovski, whose Bulls side can move to the top of the table with an away win over Adelaide on Friday.
“It was a pretty scary time, and with the A-League season a month or so away, all the clubs had their teams ready,” Vickery told AAP.
“When there’s 30 players losing a club there’s not enough room for everyone, so I was talking to my agent a heap and we were talking about going to the US.
“I probably didn’t have the profile to go to an MLS team, but we were talking about the MLS Next Pro or the USL Championship.
“I was honestly about to be on the next flight out to America. Then we did one last ring around the clubs, and when Macarthur reached out, I snatched it up.”
A direct and quick attacker, Vickery has taken to his new club with ease across both their domestic and Asian Champions League Two campaigns.
The winger has scored five goals in 17 games with Macarthur, including in the Bulls’ last-start 6-2 thrashing of ALM champions Melbourne City.
“I trialled at Melbourne City a couple of times in my youth,” Vickery said.
“The first time they said ‘no’.
“The second time they cut the trial short, brought all the kids in with all our parents and they said, ‘No one here has talent, and no one’s going to make it’.
“So it was pretty nice to be able to score and smash them like that on the weekend.”
His performances have also caught the interest of the Indonesian FA, who have made a pitch for him to change his international allegiance.
Vickery, who has played for the Young Socceroos (under-20s), is eligible for Indonesia through his maternal grandmother.
He also qualifies for the US, having been born in Hawaii while his father worked curating the greens at the Sony Open.
“I could represent Australia, the US or Indonesia, and Indonesia are quite interested,” Vickery said.
“There’s been a bit of communication between us to see the different options and the different exposure that I can get as a player.
“Obviously everyone wants to play on the national stage for a national team, but I’m just exploring the waters.”
https://thewest.com.au/sport/soccer/western-united-survivor-thrives-with-a-league-lifeline-c-21462062
