Phoenix Transfer - speculation

After three weeks of light training, the Wellington Phoenix step up pre-season work next week in preparation for their third season in the Hyundai A-League. The current squad will be joined from Monday, May 4, by several players beginning month-long trials with the Phoenix.

These trialists include strikers Roy Krishna (Waitakere United) and Luis Corrales (Team Wellington), as well as 20-year-old, 1.97m (6�6�) goalkeeping giant Reece Crowther from English Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

An off-season of intense fitness work and a new attitude has reformed bad boy Robbie Kruse ready to prove his critics wrong.

With his contract at Queensland Roar almost up, Kruse is unsure where his future lies.

But wherever he ends up, the 20-year-old attacking weapon is out of his comfort zone and desperate to make up for a season marred by off-field controversy, injury and indifferent form.

His hard road back began soon after the Roar's 2008-2009 campaign finished with a disappointing 1-0 preliminary final loss to Adelaide United on February 21.

While half of his Roar teammates took off on an end-of-season trip to Asia and the rest put their feet up at home, Kruse opted against taking a break.

Instead, he teamed up with fitness guru Darren Young, who put the former Australian under-17 international through a relentless five-week regime of running and boxing.

It resulted in a leaner, meaner and keener Kruse reporting to the Roar's first training session of the pre-season last Monday.

"Last season I didn't play much, so it was like I was having a break then," said the one-time boy wonder, who after taking the A-League by storm in Queensland's 2007-2008 campaign played just four first-team matches in 2008-09.

"I needed to do what I do in the off-season to get out of my comfort zone."

So often dubbed "lazy" during his career, Kruse said he had never been fitter.

"I can't really wait to prove to people that I'm not lost and I can keep playing," he said. "I don't like the lazy tag but I guess I've brought it on myself.

"Last season was a massive blow for me. It's all my fault and I don't blame anyone else.

"I'm just looking to put it behind me and try to forget it really happened. It's all I can really do. I can't expect people to forgive me overnight, so hopefully I can win their trust and respect back."

Where Kruse will play his football in the 2009-2010 A-League season remains a mystery.

He's unsure if he wants to stay at the Roar and the club doesn't know whether they still want him.

"I'm just here to do the pre-season and try to impress as much as I can," he said.

"I'm still a contracted player here, I'm still doing the work, so until I'm not contracted, it'll be business as usual."

Roar coach Frank Farina said he was in no rush to decide if Kruse and defender Ben Griffin would be offered new contracts.

Farina's assistant Rado Vidosic hinted that the ball was in Kruse's court.

"If he shows that he can get back to where he was, I'm sure we will keep him," Vidosic said.

"But if he doesn't show any improvement from last season, it probably wouldn't be smart to keep him."