Leckie ready to shine in Bundesliga

Australia international and Ingolstadt star Mathew Leckie believes he is well equipped to take the Bundesliga by storm this season.

Germany is quickly standing up and taking notice of Leckie, who netted a goal-of-the-season contender for newly-promoted Ingolstadt before the international break.

Leckie, however, is no stranger to the Bundesliga.

The Socceroos forward was an unknown 20-year-old when he first arrived in the league via Borussia Monchengladbach four years ago.

Back then Leckie made just a handful of senior league appearances – nine in total – before he was shipped out to 2.Bundesliga outfit FSV Frankfurt permanently in 2013.

Now one of Ingolstadt’s main men after leading the Bavarian club into the top flight with seven goals in his first season, and a regular for Asian Cup champions Australia, 24-year-old Leckie feels he is ready to shine in the Bundesliga.

“Hopefully I can put in a solid season. If that means scoring goals or playing well I’ll be happy,” Leckie said in an interview with Omnisport.

“When I was there with Gladbach it was different. It was one of those things when I made the move from Australia to Germany just to get myself a picture of European football. I was there to play and more of a learning curve.

“I think it was a good step for me because I was able to train with a lot of good players and learn a lot in a really short time. Considering I came from the A-League, a different standard, I was happy.

“I guess now I’m ready for the league. I’ve had time over here to experience it and mature as a footballer. Luckily enough I’m a national team regular as well, so the timing is right this time around.”

Leckie is one of a select few Australian players plying their trade in one of Europe’s big leagues.

Socceroos team-mates Mitchell Langerak and Robbie Kruse both call Stuttgart home in the Bundesliga, while national captain Mile Jedinak is on the books of Premier League side Crystal Palace.

Number one goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, though, is the pick of the bunch after securing a dream move to UEFA Champions League participants Valencia in July.

And Leckie knows he is only one good season away from joining Ryan among Europe’s big guns.

“You never know where you are gonna go or where it is going to take you,” added Leckie, who scored his first international goal since 2013 in Australia’s 5-0 rout of Bangladesh in AFC World Cup qualifying last week.

“If you can play in a good league and do well, those things are going to happen for you.

“My goal is have a very good season and see where it takes me.”