Robbie Kruse could easily have pulled down the curtain on his stellar career but his hunger to return to the Brisbane Roar and make an impact at the club where it all began won the day.
The 34-year-old winger has signed for the rest of the A-League Men season and is determined to make an impact on and off the pitch for the 10th-placed Roar.
Kruse debuted with Brisbane back in 2007 before going on to play 75 times for the Socceroos in a successful career that included stints in Germany, China and with Melbourne Victory.
A knee injury sustained last year at Victory could have ended his career, but the fire still burned within the Brisbane-born Kruse, who returned to train with the Roar towards the back end of 2022.
"I was content with the career that I'd had but I had that hunger in me still to keep going," Kruse said in his first interview back at the club.
"I am still motivated to play football. I love the game. I love training.
"I want to impact and help the young kids. I feel like I have achieved a lot in my career but if I can give back and help the club progress, that's my goal now."
Kruse was reflective when he considered how his professional journey had unfolded.
"It is full circle. Not a lot of people get to come back to where it all began," he said.
"Brisbane has been a big club. It has struggled a bit recently but hopefully we can string performances together and climb up the ladder and make Brisbane proud."
Coach Warren Moon is delighted to have the former Socceroo on board.
"National team coaches kept picking Robbie Kruse and there's a reason for that. He affects the game," Moon said.
"Last season in the A-League with Melbourne Victory no one created more chances in the last 35 or 40 minutes than Robbie."
Kruse is aiming to play his first game back with the club at Redcliffe against Central Coast on February 10.
"I will be used off the bench predominantly, early on especially," he said.
"Last season at Victory I changed a lot of games coming off the bench. At this stage of my career that is a really good role for me."
Off the field, the 2015 Asian Cup winner wants to help the development of the club's young players.
Kevin Muscat and Archie Thompson mentored Kruse during his first spell at Melbourne Victory from 2009-2011, after he had been guided by another former Socceroo, Craig Moore, at the Roar.
He even lived with Moore for a week at the suggestion of former coach Frank Farina.
"I was only 16 at the time and I lived with him when I was struggling a little bit," Kruse said.
"Craig showed me things to do and different ways of mentally preparing myself.
"Hopefully I can implement some of those things and help some of the young guys here."
