Valentino Yuel has his sights set on silverware with Western Sydney after a political uprising brought an end to a promising spell in Iran.
The winger thought he had said goodbye to the A-League Men after he finished up with the Newcastle Jets at the end of the 2021-22 season and joined Aluminum Arak on a two-year deal.
But the death of Mahsa Amini - a woman who died in police custody after being arrested for not wearing a hijab - sparked protests across the country.
It led to Yuel, 29, sealing a loan move to Qatar in January before returning to Australia with the Wanderers earlier this month.
"Iran is a country that’s rich in culture and history and I made a lot of good friends there," Yuel told AAP ahead of Saturday's away trip to Wellington to face the league-leading Phoenix.
"Iran has a strong league and I wanted to challenge myself and improve as a player.
"There were a few restrictions and that’s when I went on loan because games were getting cancelled.
"It was like playing during COVID-19 again because fans were restricted from coming to the games and players weren’t really celebrating when they scored.
"When that happened I started looking at my situation and how it might affect my football."
After the end of his spell in Qatar, Yuel began to explore options in Australia.
With Socceroos forward Brandon Borrello ruled out for three months, Wanderers boss Marko Rudan decided to give Yuel a call after previously working with him at Western United.
For Yuel it marked a significant change.
The winger, whose only games over the last six months have been for his national team, South Sudan, has rarely been with an ALM team challenging for silverware.
But sporting bleach blonde hair instead of his customary dreadlocks Yuel has registered a goal and an assist in his first two games - and he's keen for more.
"That’s one of the main reasons I took up the opportunity, everyone wants to win but I want to be contending for the title," Yuel said.
"I thought I could add something to the team.
"It definitely gives me a lot of confidence to be with a team that’s fighting for a title, that’s where I want to be and I want to finish this year with some silverware."
