Matthew Jurman is confident he will not be barracked by Sydney FC fans when he faces up to his former club for the first time since pledging his allegiance to Western Sydney Wanderers last September.
Jurman played his youth career with Sydney, won the 2009/10 Championship and made over 100 appearances for the Sky Blues across two separate stints from 2008-2011 and 2013-2017.
The 29-year-old Australian international revealed on Monday that he gave Steve Corica’s side the chance to sign him following his departure from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad back in August.
But having turned him down, the Wanderers moved quickly to snap up the signature of the eight-times capped Caltex Socceroo.
It is a move that would have undoubtedly stung the Harbour City faithful, but Jurman – who scored his first Hyundai A-League goal against the Wanderers in March 2014 – does not believe it will make for an acrimonious reunion in Saturday’s first-ever derby at Bankwest Stadium.
However, the Caltex Socceroo anticipates the reception will be less civil for former Wanderers star Alexander Baumjohann.
Sydney pulled off one of the coups of the transfer window and lit the fuse for Saturday’s cross-city clash by bringing the ex-Bundesliga attacker across the derby divide in July.
Upon his arrival, Baumjohan said: “it didn’t take me long to see that Sydney FC is the biggest club in the country by far and in all aspects of the game.”
“To be honest, I think my reception is going to be a little bit different to his,” Jurman said.
“I think my reception is going to be pretty good.
“I don’t know how it’s going to be for him.”
