When you are bouncing along at the bottom of the A-League table hardly ever winning a game, it's hard to imagine that a big club is looking at you as a potential signing.
After all, why would Melbourne Victory, on their way to a fourth A-League title, be looking at defenders from Central Coast Mariners, the club with the worst defensive record in the league?
Storm Roux is enjoying his time at Victory.Credit:AAP
Fortunately for New Zealand international Storm Roux, the Victory coaching staff didn't think that way.
Kevin Muscat and his team were looking for a replacement for the departed Jason Geria, their former right back who had moved to Japan.
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They wanted a fast, quick and aggressive full-back who could get forward and help the attack but do a job defensively. If he had to be given some coaching in the latter art, then who better than Muscat to provide the tuition?
The Victory boss had been a fearsome right back for club and country back in the days when full-backs were taught that their first responsibility was to stop opponents rather than be an auxiliary winger.
So, much to his surprise, Roux found himself on the road south from the Central Coast to Melbourne in the off season.
''Joining Victory was a no-brainer. It's the biggest club in Australia, and when they come knocking you have to listen, you don't really think twice,'' he said.
''It was a bit of my frustration at the Mariners that when we kept losing all the time you do get a bit dispirited and you think none of the big teams will look at you so it was a bit of a surprise that Victory came calling.
''But once I knew they were interested it did fuel my excitement about coming down here.
''I feel like I have fallen back in love with football again.''
He pays tribute to the impact that Muscat and top players like Keisuke Honda and Ola Toivonen have had on his game in just a few short weeks.
''Winning games is great, but I also feel like I have learned a lot here, especially from Kevin Muscat and players like Keisuke Honda. From what I have seen of him, even in just these few games, he looks like the best import the A-League has ever had.
''Playing with good players like him and Toivonen and the others here makes all of us look better.
''They read the play, they make the runs. I have linked up well with Honda this season and it's been really enjoyable.
''With Kevin Muscat as my coach I have learned more about the defensive side of the game. He has helped me with positioning and I have learned that it's not just all about bombing forward all the time.
Roux has learnt a lot from coach Kevin Muscat.Credit:AAP
''I have got an assist – with Honda for the first goal in the derby in round one – and I got the equaliser against Glory the week after. I would like to add to both.''
Roux was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and his family moved to Auckland in New Zealand when he was just two. They then relocated to Perth when he was 13, where he polished his skills.
''I went to the Mariners in 2013, Graham Arnold signed me after I had played for NZ in the Youth World Cup.
''At the time the Mariners had just won the A-League championship and were a very competitive team. Then Arnold left and so did other players. It was annoying to go from being part of a really good team to becoming a team that struggled to win games.
''Things never really got back to where they were. My first year there was very good and we made the semi-finals and had finished third in the league.
''The next four years were a real struggle. It's hard for a young player to keep coming up week after week in a team that keeps on losing games. It does affect your confidence.''
To compound matters, Roux then broke his ankle and sustained ligament damage. He also suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for some time.
''I realised last season that I was pretty stale and not in a good place and the club felt the same, so when the chance came to move on, they allowed me to.''
He feels Victory have a wrong to right on Saturday having lost the first derby of the season to City in round one.
''The first game against City, it definitely felt as though we should have got a point or something out of the game. We took the lead, there was that penalty and we got caught with a sucker punch as we were attacking.''
Michael Lynch, The Age's expert on soccer, has had extensive experience of high level journalism in the UK and Australia. Michael has covered the Socceroos through Asia, Europe and South America in their past three World Cup campaigns. He has also reported on Grands Prix and top class motor sport from Asia and Europe. He has won several national media awards for both sports and industry journalism.
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