FC Utrecht have slammed the door on Adam Sarota’s potential loan move to former club Brisbane Roar FC after the Dutch outfit sold another midfielder.
Sarota was eyeing a move back to the Hyundai A-League on a season-long loan deal as he looks to secure more first-team football.
However, with Utrecht selling midfielder Jens Toornstra to Feyenoord during the transfer window, Sarota has been told he’s now a required player at the club.
“The club had been a little bit open to the loan idea, and said to me to put my feelers out,” Sarota told The Courier-Mail.
“But now they’ve come back to me and said they want me to stay.
“They won’t let me go out on loan because they’ve sold another player (Toornstra). Everything has been put on hold.”
The 25-year-old, who started his career at the Roar, is desperate to start playing matches as he eyes a spot in the Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup in January.
While ready to fight for his spot at Utrecht, Sarota admits a return to the Roar would have been “a perfect fit” for him.
“Brisbane’s a great club and would have been a perfect fit,” Sarota said.
“Every season they play for titles, they’re playing in the Asian Champions League this season…I’d be flattered to play again for a club like the Roar,” Sarota said.
“But I’m signed with Utrecht and I can’t just run away from the club. I’ve just got to train hard and do well when I get my chance to play.
“It’s not a bad thing to have a lot of good players in your position. It pushes everyone.”
After a serious knee injury disrupted each of his last two seasons in the Netherlands, Sarota says he’s back to full fitness and hopeful of forcing his way into the Socceroos squad after missing the final cut for the World Cup.
“I was obviously sad. It’s every footballer’s dream to play at the World Cup,” Sarota said.
“But I respected Ange’s decision. He’s the coach. That’s part of football, that’s part of life – sometimes you make it, sometimes you don’t.
“I feel my knee is 100 per cent now, but I have to play a lot more to improve my match fitness. I’m confident in my ability that when I get the chance, I’ll do well.”