Liberato Cacace did not get a chance to return to New Zealand to say goodbye to his parents before flying to Belgium to link up with Sint-Truidense V.V.
But the young All White said his new club has already made him feel at home after spending the previous nine weeks living out of a hotel in Australia in order to complete the A-League season under strict Covid-19 restrictions.
Following two and a half seasons with Wellington Phoenix, the club’s star academy graduate said he was excited to step out of his comfort zone as he embarked on a new chapter overseas, already putting the cooking skills he learned from his father, Wellington restaurateur Antonio Cacace, to the test.
“I’m living by myself for the first time and I’ve got to start cooking, but he taught me when I was growing up so I think I should be OK,” Cacace said. “So far I’ve been good with my cooking. I’ve just been keeping it simple with some protein, some red meat and some greens and also some carbs. It’s been pretty clean so far.
“It would have been nice to say goodbye to the family or pick up some luggage from home but it’s just part of football and you’ve got to make sacrifices to be where you are and to be successful.
“I had to make that sacrifice not seeing my family, but these days you can use your phone and see their faces, so it’s been easier that way.”
Although there has been a noticeable step up in intensity at training, the 19-year-old Cacace believed he was up for the challenge of nailing down a starting spot after enjoying a meteoric rise with the Phoenix.
“It’s been great, it’s definitely been a step up from back in the A-League but it’s all part of it and I’ve got to get used to it, and the team-mates have been very welcoming and I’ve settled in quite nicely here.
“I always knew it was going to be a step up and I spoke to a few people before I left that have been in Europe prior to me, so it was a pleasant step up. I was looking forward to it and I’m glad that it’s been a good step up for me.”
