Adama Traore has claimed he is still aiming to improve despite his brilliant start to the Hyundai A-League season, which has caught the eye of Melbourne Victory’s head coach among others.
Adama Traore has claimed he is still aiming to improve despite his brilliant start to the Hyundai A-League season, which has caught the eye of Melbourne Victory’s head coach among others.
The Ivory Coast-born 22-year-old has played every minute of Victory’s opening seven games and his coach, Ange Postecoglou, claimed last month Traore could be the next left-back for the Socceroos.
While Traore is not getting carried away with any links to Australia’s national team, he has argued he can play even better in his first season in the Big V.
“I think it’s okay (my season so far) but there’s no limit for anyone, you can always improve,” Traore said at Tuesday’s training session.
“At training and in the games, you can always improve, it doesn’t matter how well you played last week, you have to improve.”
Traore will be eligible for Australian citizenship next year, which would make him available to Australia’s head coach Holger Osieck, but while a Socceroos cap has become a long-term goal, the speedster with a thumping left boot may still be tempted to represent the country of his birth.
“Yes (I would like to get Australian citizenship) but I have been here for four years and you never know, anything can happen,” Traore said.
Traore moved to Melbourne before the start of the season, having played two seasons with Gold Coast United.
Having already played 58 matches in the A-League with Gold Coast, Traore came to Victory with a reputation as one of the best left-backs in the competition and has only enhanced his name under Postecoglou.
Traore believes Victory was the perfect place for him having found his feet in Australia with Gold Coast.
“Melbourne is a big club, you know, you always want to make the next step,” Traore said.
“I think with Melbourne, if I always work hard at training, I think, hopefully I can make the next step.”
