Free of distractions and with a full pre-season under his belt, Canberra product Steven Lustica is as relaxed as he's ever been heading into an A-League season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That hasn't always been the case for the Brisbane Roar midfielder.
He's had his fair share of fun and games during previous transfer windows, getting to know teammates on the run and fitting into a different system halfway through seasons.
It's all part and parcel of being a professional footballer.
Even Sunday's season opener against Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium gives him a glimpse back to the past.
Lustica joined the Reds at the start of the 2013-14 season, but left the club last February to take up a 2½-year contract with the Roar.
At the time Reds coach Josep Gombau wasn't impressed, claiming Lustica refused to attend training, before the club eventually relented and granted him a release.
"For me, the way things happened last season probably got blown out of proportion," Lustica said.
"I enjoyed my time there a lot, I've got a lot of respect for the club and a lot of respect for Josep, and there's no hard feelings.
"It doesn't matter who we're playing ... if you can't get enough motivation for the first game of the season, you shouldn't be playing."
The 23-year-old received more opportunities at the Roar as it went on to beat the Western Sydney Wanderers in the grand final.
It's Lustica's second stint at the Roar after a loan spell in the second half of the 2012-13 season.
The former Young Socceroo debuted in the A-League with the now-defunct Gold Coast United in 2009, joining Croatian club Hajduk Split in 2011.
He remained under contract at Split until signing with the Reds at the start of last season.
"Brisbane's the right place for me at the moment to play," he said.
There's a different look to the Roar side this season, with prolific goal-scorer Besart Berisha joining Melbourne Victory and Socceroos defender Ivan Franjic plying his trade in Russia.
"Bese's one of a kind. Rarely do you see players of that quality come to Australia," Lustica said.
"We've lost Ivan Franjic as well and they're two key players for us, but we're confident in the squad we have."
That includes fellow Canberra product Kofi Danning. The Ghanaian-born striker missed last season with his second knee reconstruction, but is on track to make a successful comeback.
"He's looking sharp at training, getting back to full fitness and it's great to see him back," Lustica said. "We used to play together at Canberra Deakin for a few years, so we know each other quite well."
