At the end of last season, Bozhidar Kraev admits he was at a crossroads in his career.
He had spent two years at the Wellington Phoenix, but his contract was expiring and he was contemplating whether to stay put or make a move.
In the end, the lure of playing in the biggest city in Australia at a massive club proved too much for Kraev and his partner to turn down.
“My partner always liked Sydney, it’s an amazing city and I always wanted to play for a big club,” Kraev said.
“I played against the Wanderers and I had a feeling of [its size] and when I came to the club it’s bigger and stronger, I see the magnitude of it.”
Kraev ended up being one of the first signings of new coach Alen Stajcic, who was impressed with his versatility, work rate and creativity on the ball that he showed in his two years in New Zealand.
He played 56 times for the Phoenix, scoring 14 goals as they made the finals in both of his seasons at the club.
His time in Wellington came after a career across Europe, including in his native Bulgaria, playing Champions League football in Denmark, and a stint in Portugal.
Football has always been in his blood; his father Boyko played for Bulgarian top division side Botev Vratsa, and Kraev says his family influenced him in all aspects of his life.
“I always wanted to be like him,” Kraev said, “he never debuted in the national team, and this was like a dream.
“When I did it, I was like, ‘I did something that my father didn’t achieve.’
“(My family) are very kind and friendly people like all Bulgarians, they love their friends and they teach my brother and I to be good people and to value friendships.”
Kraev clearly got his footballing ability from his father, and it wasn’t long before he was playing for one of the country’s biggest clubs in Levski Sofia.
He scored a hat-trick in first start in 2014, then in 2017 scored four goals against Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
He says it is one of the proudest moments of his career, and he has had a few.
“The four goals in one game doesn’t happen every day, and it’s remarkable for me,” he said.
“For the national team, I scored the first goal in the history of the (UEFA Nations League), the first Bulgarian to win the title (in Denmark) as well. It’s a remarkable moment.”
Kraev has represented Bulgaria 24 times, scoring three goals, and also played against some of the biggest and most historic clubs in the world when his Danish side FC Midtjylland in the 2021/22 season, alongside Aussie Awer Mabil.
He came off the bench against Liverpool at Anfield, and played home and away against Ajax.
He struggled for game-time in Denmark, leading to his move down under, and he is now fully focused on bringing success to the Wanderers.
He has been almost an ever-present in the side, playing either in midfield or in a wide attacking role, and scored his first goal for the club in the third game of the season against Adelaide.
He wants to bring consistency into his own game, as well as in the team performances, where he believes they are building in the right direction to be a threat later in the season.
“You can see that the team is prepared, and I think it’s a matter of time the (until) results will come,” he said.
“And once we get to this winning (run) I think it could be very good. It’s (just) a matter of time.”
He will hope that begins this weekend, when he goes up against his former club Wellington at CommBank Stadium.
