Sydney FC recruit Jordy Buijs admits it was Graham Arnold's links to Holland that encouraged him to join the A-League ladder leaders for the rest of the season.
Two days after arriving from his most recent stint in Romania, the former Eredivisie defender will train with his new teammates for the first time on Tuesday.
Buijs was signed last week to address the club's dwindling defensive stocks following the departure of Matt Jurman during the transfer window and an injury to Sebastian Ryall.
And the 28-year-old said the connection was instant with Arnold who, like Buijs, spent the bulk of his playing career in Holland's top flight at NAC Breda.
"He give me a good feeling. I'm a man of my feeling, this is one of the important thing in my life," Buijs said.
"The trainer gives me this, so I need to give him something back on the field."
Despite not having played in more than two months, Buijs is confident it will not take him long to adjust to life in Australia -- and the A-League.
The former Feyenoord youth product has to acclimatise himself to the Australian summer, having just arrived from sub-zero temperatures in Europe.
"It was a little bit freezing there and rainy. It's a little changing, but it's no problem," he said.
"The feeling is very good. I think I need maybe one week. The weather I like, I have this before. For me it's not a big point. I sweat a lot. I think you [do] too, a lot of people here."
Dubbed a ball-playing central defender with a knack for dead-ball situations, Buijs said only time would tell whether he would live up to his reputation at his new club.
"I like to play football from behind, to build-up, to coach my players, to help my players, and to organise everything so we don't get balls in my goal," he said.
"There is two things I have -- I hope you can see this in a couple of games, that my free kicks and set pieces are going good.
"I don't want to call myself a specialist. You guys need to tell me about it after 10-12 games maybe, then we talk again."
Sydney FC's next match is against Adelaide United on Friday.