STRIKER Mathew Leckie will repay Adelaide United for affording him his big football break by deferring a move to Germany until season's end.
Leckie was linked with a move to the Bundesliga in the January transfer window but the Young Socceroo cannot countenance leaving Adelaide on the brink of an inaugural A-League title triumph.
"I would definitely rather stay for the season for both me and the club," he said.
" We are having a really great season. I want to be part of the whole thing.
"Adelaide gave me the opportunity and I took it, but I would never have had it if it wasn't for them. I would like to prove how happy I am with the chance."
Leckie's manager John Grimaud has struck an in-principle agreement for a three-year deal with Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach.
He said the parties were "close" to confirming a deal. "He will stay to season's end. Moenchengladbach is the club we are dealing with and they have come out twice to speak," Grimaud said."We won't be trying to deal with other clubs for the sake of a few bucks."
Grimaud said Leckie would not have remained at Hindmarsh if Rini Coolen was not coach.
Socceroos supremo Holger Osieck has warned Leckie, 19, how tough life will be as a young player in Germany, but Grimaud and his young star believe fortune favours the brave.
"It is a great league, a difficult league, but it has a focus on developing young players," Grimaud said. "You only have to look at the young players coming from the Bundesliga and Moenchengladbach to the German national team like Marco Reus and Patrick Herrmann.
"Mark Bosnich has kindly said that while 80 per cent of Australian players don't make it overseas, he will be in the 20 per cent that do."
Leckie said it would be a "tough initiation" in Germany but one he must confront. "I want to get over there and start again, get experience against the best players," said Leckie, with four goals in eight games in his second A-League campaign since he was snared from Victorian Premier League side Bulleen. "You always look at people's opinions and Holger's is one you really look at. I guess you don't know until you get there."
Leckie is pulling out the stops to face Melbourne Victory on Friday - the club that never rated him as a junior, allowing Reds assistant coach Phil Stubbins to swoop in one of the A-League's greatest talent heists. "They never really gave me a chance. Adelaide did and it paid off. I am from Melbourne. To get a win against them would be great in front of a big crowd."
Leckie must pass a fitness test on his injured knee today to play his first game for the Reds since round eight.
Adelaide has endured nine consecutive losses against Victory - without a win over Ernie Merrick's side since October 2007.
Leckie is adamant the curse will be shattered at Eithad Stadium.
"The boys are all pumped to win," Leckie said. "We are undefeated so there are no reasons why we can't go over there and get a result. We will approach it like it is a final as we need to get a win having lost so many."
