Aussie heading to Pride Park?

Aussie heading to Pride Park?

The reputation of Australians plying their trade in the English Premier League is second too none. With Harry Kewell at Liverpool, Mark Viduka at Newcastle United, Brett Emerton and Mark Schwarzer at Middlesboro and Blackburn respectively.

There may be another Aussie on the horizon with the Rams boss Paul Jewell confirming that Australian international midfielder Mile Sterjovski is a transfer target.

The 28-year-old is currently with Turkish side Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ. But the Wollongong striker is keen on a move to the Premiership and Jewell wants to bring him to Pride Park.

The Socceroos striker forged a reputation as a consistent goalscorer in the Australian NSL before making the move to Europe with French side Lille.

He came through the talented Australian Institute of Sport, before joined his home town club Woollongong Wolves and had a brief spell at Illawarra Lions in 1997.

It was at Sydney United where he made his name with 20 goals in 37 appearances spread over two years before a season at Parramatta Power added another 11 in 31.

He then made the move to Lille and became a regular in Ligue 1, scoring 15 goals in 91 appearances over four seasons.

A free-transfer move to Swiss side FC Basel followed in 2004, where he helped them claim the title in his first season, and was part of the team that got to the following year's UEFA Cup quarter-final where they were beaten by Steve McClaren`s Middlesbrough.

The Australian international has 33 caps to his name, and was a part in the Socceroos 2004 World Cup campaign in Germany.

He headed to Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ in the summer of 2007 but couldn't settle in Turkey and the Rams are keen to secure his services for the relegation fight