Fresh from his goal-scoring performance in Saturday night’s 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory, Brisbaneroar.com.au caught up with 21-year-old Rocky Visconte to ask your chosen questions from Facebook and Twitter.
Fresh from his goal-scoring performance in Saturday night-s 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory, Brisbaneroar.com.au caught up with 21-year-old Rocky Visconte to ask your chosen questions from Facebook and Twitter.
1. Firstly, congratulations on your first goal of the season on Saturday night. How did it feel to get on the scoresheet and grab the win?
We were all really happy about the result, we were buzzing about it. When we got that first goal right before half-time, I thought it was a real boost for us and the gaffer spurred us on at the half-time break and we went out firing. He told us not to let them get the better of us and that we had to believe in ourselves and not to let them score because they weren-t really creating anything. When we did score that first and second goal, we started dominated. I was shocked when I scored, I couldn-t believe it and I went to the corner flag to celebrate and I didn-t know what to do! You could see that the goal I scored shattered them even more and Ivan with his goal just put the nail on the coffin. We got the ball and kept doing the same things, putting them under pressure which was good and we finished off the game well.
2. This week is a big one for the club. Back to Perth where you scored your first Hyundai A-League goal then to take on your hometown club in Adelaide United. How are you feeling?
Yeah, Perth is where I scored my first A-League goal but I also have a lot of family there so I-ve got a lot of family coming to that game. We-ve got to back up from the performance the other night, both individually and as a team. Adelaide, I always look forward to that game and it-s always one of the first fixtures I look for when the fixtures list comes out, the Adelaide game at Hindmarsh to be able to play in front of family. My nan will be there wearing her ‘Rocky Visconte- badge! I-m nowhere near sealing my starting position. I-ve still got to work hard every game and maintain good performances and keep consistent. You-ve got to be positive when you get the ball. Hopefully we can grab six points so when we come back to play Sydney at home on the 14th, we can be full of confidence.
3. How much do you think your time in Scotland prepared you for life as a professional footballer? If you had your time again, would you have done anything differently?
With my time in Scotland, I don-t regret it. I thought it made things easier for me. I moved away when I was 16 and went halfway across the world so being away from home is not an issue for me anymore. Because I was so far from home at a young age, now being in Brisbane, it feels so close to home for me whereas it might feel like so far away for some of the others. Would I have done anything differently? No, I don-t think so. I gave it my all over there and I enjoyed it. I don-t regret going but I don-t know if I would go back. I think it matured me as a person, now I can live by myself and learnt how to cook and things like that which I didn-t know to do before I left. Now I can look after myself.
4. Are you one of the only left-footed players at the club? How much do you think being a ‘lefty- has helped or hindered you in your football career?
Being a lefty can be good but it can also be a little bit annoying as well. If you-re a left-footed player, which is rare, that-s good but sometimes the coach just sees you as a left winger and puts you straight on the wing. As a young player, I-ve always liked being a midfielder and I-m happy now that I am playing more in the middle because that-s where I like to be. I like to get on the ball and go forward and have shots at goal, which I-m really enjoying at the moment. I think it-s just me, Shane [Stefanutto] and one of the youth boys, Corey Brown, just the three of us.
5. If you could choose any other Hyundai A-League player to play alongside, who would it be and why?
I really don-t think I can go past the players that take the field for Brisbane every week.
6. Looking at the Hyundai A-League as a whole, who do you think is the most improved player this season?
I watch a lot of the other A-League games and I think I-ll say Bernie Ibini. He-s definitely come out this season and he-s matured. He-s got more speed and he-s putting the goals away which is what you want from your forward.
7. We hear you and roommate Matt Jurman are learning to cook. Who-s better? What-s your signature dish?
Well, I can cook – Matty-s the one learning to cook! He-s still struggling. The only thing he-s cooked so far is nachos but I had to cook the mince for the nachos. The only thing he did was put the Doritos in and sprinkle the cheese on top but he-s trying to claim that he cooked it. Oh wait, he also poured the salsa on top. My signature dish? The night before a game we like to have spaghetti bolognaise, which we-ve learnt to cook really well. It was actually [former Roar teammate] Milan Susak who taught me how to make the bolognaise when he was staying with me for a couple of days. I also like cooking a good steak and occasionally we make stuff like butter chicken. Matty does the washing up, he knows that-s his job.
8. You-ve been in Brisbane a while now. Where are your favourite places to go around town and things to do when you-re not training or playing football?
We hang out at Milton, Park Road quite a bit. It-s a nice place to go for a coffee down there at La Dolce Vita. We go to the city sometimes and we hang out at each other-s places too, like sometimes we go to Jack [Hingert]-s or they come to ours and play Playstation and have dinner together. When we come home from training, we just like to relax. If we have a couple days off, I tend to ask the gaffer if it-s okay if I go home to Adelaide. It can be hard because I don-t really get to see my family too much so it-s always good to go home to see them. I speak to them nearly every day, I-ve got two younger sisters as well so I try and keep in contact with them and all my friends back home. They-re excited to see me this weekend and I get to stay an extra day. The boys come home on Sunday and I-ll get to stay until Monday night.
