The 33-year-old brings a European pedigree to AAMI Park.
Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi is backing new marquee recruit Orlando Engelaar to shine in the A-League next season.
The 33-year-old, a former Holland international, was officially unveiled at AAMI Park on Tuesday just under two weeks after it first came to light that he’d signed for the club from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer.
Aloisi hinted that the Engelaar will anchor Heart’s midfield in the 2013/14 campaign and that having an experienced presence in the centre of the pitch will allow his side to start command games following a long search for a player of the Dutchman’s pedigree.
“We’ve been looking for this type of player for a long time,” he told Goal Australia.
“We’ve lacked someone that can control the tempo of a game. Like Orlando said, about how quick the A-League is, that’s not always a positive. Sometimes you need to be able to dictate the tempo.
“When you can break, you break, and when you have to keep hold of the ball and keep possession you can. And that’s why we wanted someone like Orlando.
“We know his qualities. Even though he’s a big boy, he’s very good on the ball. His touch is good and he knows the right decisions to make – when to play a through ball and when to keep it.
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