Kisnorbo "can't wait" for Langerak arrival, even if he'll have to earn his minutes.
Melbourne Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo is unmistakably enthusiastic about adding goalkeeper Mitch Langerak to his squad when the January transfer window opens. But that doesn’t mean he’ll immediately be handing him the number one role.
Langerak, 36, will play his 288th and final competitive fixture for J1 League side Nagoya Grampus on Sunday when they travel to face Yokohama F Marinos at Nissan Stadium. With the Japanese season then concluded, the custodian will then return to where it all began 17 years ago when he re-joins Victory on an 18-month deal.
A two-time J.League Cup winner during his time in Asia’s best league, as well as having set the record for most clean sheets in a J1 League season with 21 back in 2021 – which earned him team of the season honours – to say Langerak’s reputation precedes him might be somewhat understating things. That’s to say nothing of a career that saw him log stints with both Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart in the Bundesliga after leaving Victory.
And while he will have to wait until the January transfer window opens on January 16 to first don the gloves for his new, old side, that could set the veteran up for something of a fairytale return: the first game he will be eligible for a trip to Hindmarsh Stadium to face Adelaide United on January 18 and his first game coming against Sydney FC the following week.
However, while Kisnorbo was all smiles when the subject of Langerak’s arrival came up, he also kept with his long-standing philosophy on matters of selection in declaring that the incoming keeper would have to earn the right to see the field. His side, he noted, is winning with Jack Duncan between the posts, the 31-year-old having kept two clean sheets in his side’s six games and sitting fourth in the A-League Men in save percentage.
“To be honest with you, Mitch is the one that's coming in and I've told him that if Jack is playing well, then you're just gonna have to wait for your opportunity,” Kisnorbo said. “It's not about names, I've always been honest and open [about that].
“Jack's been doing well so he gets rewarded for his performances. What happens after that, when Mitch comes? We'll deal with it then. But at the moment, Jack is our number one and we'll have to wait and see what will happen – [Jack’s] been doing great.
“If Jack is in the whole season, he's in the whole season; I won't change because of Mitch coming in. We know how great Mitch is but I'm not going to change just to change, because of an individual who's played at a great level, who's had a great career. Because the team is doing well.”
An AIS graduate, Langerak sat and learned behind Eugene Galekovic, Michael Theo, and Glen Moss as he rose through the ranks at Victory – as well as experiencing a loan stint in the VPL at South Melbourne – before supplanting Moss and making 16 starts during the 2009-10 season. His play soon caught the eye of Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund, with his move ultimately netting Victory approx $1.5m once add-ons were included.
And while he only played 21 games for the club before departed, Langerak has remained a fan favourite with the Victory faithful long since his departure and commands broad respect across Australian football – 43-year-old Kisnorbo, whose path didn’t cross Langerak’s during his playing career, joked that he had "watched him on TV like a like a fan".
“It's an exciting time for everybody,” said Kisnorbo. “You have a guy that started his career here, how great. He's probably going to hopefully end it here, how great. It's great to have someone of his ability.
“We can't wait until he comes. We can't wait to have him. He's a great man, a great person to have in a club, and we're excited for him to come in.”
Header Image: A-Leagues