When Chris Oldfield touched down at Tullamarine Airport in late 2011, he couldn’t have envisaged what the next four years had in store for him.
Fast forward to today and the Englishman is set to start in his 100th league appearance for Hume City against the Bentleigh Greens tonight, just days after becoming a father for the first time.
An integral protagonist in his side’s dream FFA Cup run of last season, the 2014 NPL Goalkeeper of the Year has also caught the attention of a number of A-League clubs and having recently turned 25, has over a decade left in the tank.
Born in Merseyside, Oldfield joined the Liverpool junior set up at an under 12s level before gradually rising through the youth ranks of the five-time European Champions, where he also made his international bow, featuring for the Republic of Ireland Under 21’s.
At the beginning of the 2009-10 Premier League season, he signed a professional contract with the club and featured in their Reserves alongside current Athletic Bilbao and Spanish international defender Mikel San Jose, Spanish youth internationals Dani Pacheco and Martin Ayala as well as Crystal Palace defender Martin Kelly and Captain Jay Spearing.
After spending some time with the senior squad, which included training with Pepe Reina and his Brazilian understudy Diego Cavalieri, Oldfield departed Anfield in search of first-team football by joining Welsh Premier League outfit Bangor City via a short spell at lower league Chester.
After helping The Citizens win their first league title in 16 years, the young custodian went in search of first-team opportunities at a higher level before eventually opting for a surprising sea change by moving Down Under in late 2011.
“I trailed at a few clubs but couldn’t cement a first team spot which is what I needed at that age before the opportunity arose for me to come to Australia which I accepted and have never looked back from there onwards.”
“Being a young goalkeeper with limited experience I needed to get game time under my belt and I decided to contact a few people here in Australia before Louie Acevski contacted me and said he wanted me so I thought why not.”
At the time, Acevski had just been appointed a Head Coach of the Broadmeadows-based following his retirement and the departure of outgoing Player-Manager Andrew Vlahos who had taken the side within one game of a Grand Final berth in the 2011.
Oldfield gave an insight into his expectations upon landing in Melbourne and first impressions of the club.
“I did not have many expectations and was open minded and excited to play senior football at a level I was comfortable in. “Back then Hume City were a club undergoing a period of transition but they had plans to grow and become more professional.
“The chairman Steve Kaya is a passionate man and he implements that into the club and the direction he wants it to go and I myself can’t be more thankful to the club for the past four years.”
Oldfield considers the memorable 2015 FFA Cup semi-final run as the highlight of his spell at ABD Stadium and hopes to carry on that momentum into this season with Louie Acevski’s men obtaining six points from their opening two fixtures as they prepare to face the defending Champions who also have a 100% record to start the season.
While the 3-0 victory over Richmond and an impressive 2-1 away triumph over Avondale highlighted the club’s early season good form, Oldfield feels that City will need to prove their title credentials against the Greens with aspirations and objectives set high in the dressing rooms following last year’s success.
“Bentleigh are a great football playing team and we know what to expect from them. We will have to be on are game to beat them and we are confident that we can with no game this season being an easy one.”
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The Greens ended Hume’s title aspirations last season following a 2-0 victory over their exhausted opponents who were in the middle of their gruelling FFA Cup schedule and all eyes will be on ABD Stadium as the two face off in what is shaping as the best match up of the campaign so far.
In the locker room, Oldfield commands plenty of respect from his fellow teammates and has praised the club culture and environment amongst the senior squad who are a tight-knit unit according to the Scouse shot-stopper.
“The players and staff get on very well and I’d say that we are all like brothers and have a lot of respect for each other which is important if you want to win the title and achieve success on the field.”
Professionalism is another factor which has been taken to the next level at the club and Oldfield is full of praise with regards to the work done by both the coaching and administrative circles at ABD Stadium.
“Hume as a club have become more and more professional with every season and now have our own facilities which are probably one of the best – if not the best in NPL. The club is forward driven thanks largely to the professional staff and enthusiastic meaning that it can only go from strength to strength.”
Having won the NPL Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2014 as well as enhancing his growing reputation in the FFA Cup, Oldfield has attracted the attention of several A-League sides, most notably the Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC.
He trialled with the Mariners on two separate occasions late last year before the club decided to sign former Bentleigh Greens goalkeeper Alastair Bray over him while the Sky Blues have also expressed an interest in the abilities of the Melwood Academy Graduate.
“I trailed with the Mariners but it didn’t go my way there due to visa restrictions which has been the story of my life with regards to the A-League” Oldfield says jokingly.
“I have also spent some time with Sydney FC who liked me a lot as I left a good impression there. Obviously I would love to play in the A-league if and when opportunity were to come around.”
With his Australian citizenship application only months away from completion, Oldfield was greeted with further good news this week when his wife Dee, who he met thanks to his time with Hume, gave birth to twins Ben and Oscar and he couldn’t have imagined what Australia had in store for him upon arrival at Tullamarine Airport back in late 2011 as he prepares to don the gloves for the 100th league fixture tonight.
“If someone had told me back then that all this would occur, I would not have believed them but it’s honestly been a god send and I never look back on the decision I made to come down here.
“I have an amazing wife and now beautiful twins and am also a part of a brilliant club where I have many friends whom I love. Life is good at the moment and can only get better with further success with Hume and a potential A-League call-up.”