Melbourne City striker Bruno Fornaroli says he cannot wait to forge a successful strike partnership with Socceroos star Tim Cahill this season.
Last season’s Golden Boot winner picked up from where he left off during his record-breaking debut season, scoring twice from the penalty spot to send City into the Westfield FFA Cup Quarter Finals with a 2-1 win over Brisbane Strikers.
Cahill’s appearance as a second half substitute gave the 3,571 strong crowd at Perry Park a first glimpse of the two strikers playing together, and Fornaroli is delighted to have Australia’s all-time top goalscorer alongside him in the final third.
“Tim is a big player, an incredible player and I’m happy that he plays with us this season and I want to play with him,” he said. “The coach [John van’t Schip] is the boss, but of course, we can play together.
“He’s not only a great player but also a great person and I’m very happy he’s here. It’s also very good for the dressing room.”
The 28-year-old believes the vast amount of quality in the playing squad leaves the Club in a perfect position to challenge for silverware this season.
“If I didn’t feel this, I’d take my bike and go home. This is the feeling for me,” Fornaroli said. “When I play for one club, the feeling is that I want to win every time.
“And when you have the big players like Tim, Neil [Kilkenny], [Anthony] Caceres – too many players [to mention] – you need to win and I want this. I want the league and I want to win something for this club.”
“I like the pressure, of course. I think when you feel something inside, you want to fight for this. But I think Tim can take some of the pressure, so it’s better for me.”
Fornaroli was one of the star attractions as the Club unveiled its brand new away jersey at Flagstaff Gardens on Saturday, taking the time to sign autographs and pose for photos with hundreds of excited City fans.
“It’s great to see this, all the fans and there was so many people,” he said. “I’m happy for this because we need the fans to be close. I think it’s not only great for us but for the kids to be close to the players.”
