Portsmouth have completed their first summer signing with the capture of Australian forward Adrian Segečić on a three-year deal from Sydney FC for an undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has joined the Blues after an impressive campaign in the A-League, where he finished as joint-top scorer with 13 goals in 24 appearances. His standout moment came with an 18-minute hat-trick in Sydney FC’s 4-1 victory over Central Coast Mariners in January.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho expressed his delight at securing one of Australia’s most promising talents. “Adrian is a really exciting young player – one of the hottest prospects coming out of Australia at the moment,” Mousinho said.
“He was top scorer in the A-League last season and collected plenty of individual awards, while gaining recognition further afield as well. We’ve already had some success with bringing people over from that part of the world and we hope that Adrian can now make a real impact at Pompey.”
The Blues boss highlighted Segečić’s versatility and attacking prowess. “He’s very attack-minded and is happy as a winger or in the number 10 role. He’s creative and plays with plenty of energy, so we’re delighted to have him here with us.”
Segečić’s journey to Fratton Park comes after spending nine years developing through Sydney FC’s academy system. The Australian Under-23 international had previously been on trial with European giants including Ajax, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Rangers during his youth career.
Despite Sydney FC making substantial offers to retain his services, Segečić opted for the challenge of English football. He had gained valuable European experience last season during a loan spell with Dutch side FC Dordrecht before returning to light up the A-League.
The forward becomes Portsmouth’s fourth Australian player, joining compatriots Jacob Farrell, Thomas Waddingham and Hayden Matthews at the Championship club. Portsmouth beat competition from clubs across Europe and Major League Soccer to secure his signature.
Sydney FC will receive a substantial six-figure training compensation fee for the talented midfielder, who made his senior debut on Boxing Day 2021 and has represented Australia at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 levels.
