Adrian Segecic has demonstrated again why he could be such a big miss for Australian football as the man who walked away from the Socceroos plundered his first hat-trick in English football.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder from Sydney, who decided last month to pursue his international ambitions with Croatia rather than Australia with the World Cup looming, continued his striking form on Saturday with his maiden treble for Portsmouth in their 3-1 win at Stoke in the Championship.
Segecic, who had also scored in the week during Pompey’s defeat at champions Coventry, gave his side a 32nd-minute lead with a rising left-foot strike, netted again after 66 minutes from close range and completed his hat-trick with another superb 20-yard left-footer eight minutes from time.
It earned Portsmouth, celebrating their escape from relegation fears, their first win at Stoke in 31 years and reminded Australia about the talent that got away.
The former Sydney FC star, who had played for Australia at under-17, under-20 and under-23s level and received his first senior call-up under Tony Popovic for September’s window against New Zealand, now has 10 goals for the season in England’s second-tier and was once again the toast of 3,000 travelling fans.
“He has probably over-achieved on what we expected at the start of the season,” said Pompey boss John Mousinho. “I will be very surprised if there isn’t interest for ‘Segs’. I suspect there will be a lot of admirers.”
Segecic may not be going to North America with the Socceroos but a couple of other Championship marksmen may well do, although both Mohamed Toure and Nestory Irankunda had quiet days in front of goal on Saturday.
Toure, who has been in dazzling form with nine goals and three assists in 10 games for Norwich and was this week even compared by his club manager to Erling Haaland, was this time prevented from adding to his tally by Cameron Burgess and his fellow Swansea defenders in a 1-1 draw.
Irankunda got half-an-hour off the bench for Watford at Middlesbrough, but made little impact as his side got hammered 5-1.
Middlesbrough were without their Socceroos midfielder Riley McGree, who’s been waylaid by another injury for a couple of games, though Boro are still confident he’ll be back and firing for the upcoming playoffs.
Fellow Socceroo Sammy Silvera could also feature, after coming off the bench in the dying minutes in the win.
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