Sky Blues ace seals English Championship move

Sydney FC were keen to retain the services of the highly-rated forward, but the lure of a three-year contract proved too strong.

The 21-year-old will reunite with former Sky Blues teammate Hayden Matthews at the English club, as well as fellow ALM talents Jacob Farrell (Central Coast Mariners) and Thomas Waddingham (Brisbane Roar).

"Adrian is a really exciting young player – one of the hottest prospects coming out of Australia at the moment," Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told the club website.

"We've already had some success with bringing people over from that part of the world and we hope that Adrian can now make a real impact at Pompey."

Segecic leaves as the reigning Golden Boot winner, scoring 13 goals in 24 matches this season.

His move gifts Sydney FC a substantial six-figure fee in compensation for the Young Socceroos midfielder.

Segecic said the move came at the right time after nine years at the club.

"I'm honestly devastated to be leaving Sydney FC – this club has been my home for almost a decade," Segecic said in a club statement.

"But I know I have to test myself and find out how far I can take my career.

"I'm so excited for what's ahead of me in England, but I'll always be grateful to Sydney FC for the incredible opportunities they've given me."

Segecic lit up the ALM after a loan spell at Dutch club FC Dordrecht last season.

He has scored 24 goals in 65 Sky Blues appearances across all competitions.

Sydney coach Ufuk Talay could only praise Segecic, keeping his fingers crossed on a potential return in the future.

"His hunger to improve and his desire to perform every week really stood out - he absolutely deserves this opportunity," Talay said.

"While we would have loved to keep him ... he's determined to test himself in one of the toughest leagues in world football, and we're proud that our pathway has enabled him to do that.

"He's a homegrown boy done good, and we'd love to see him back in Sky Blue one day."

Australian Associated Press