Bulut ready to fire in Thessaloniki derby

Explosive striker Kerem Bulut has not ruled out a return to the A-League but is committed to making his mark in Greece as he bids for a starting place in this weekend's Thessaloniki derby between Iraklis and bitter rival PAOK.

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Bulut, who is battling back from a hamstring injury, is seeking just his third appearance for the Greek Super League club which he joined in June.

The former Western Sydney Wanderers fans favourite is ready to show coach Nikos Papadopoulos what he is capable of after a frustrating start to his three-season deal in the Greek Superleague.

The 23-year-old, who is most likely to get game time in a wider role, won’t get to mix it up with long-time friend, former Sydney FC midfielder Terry Antonis, who is still awaiting his PAOK debut as he nears recovery from a quad injury.

“We have some big games coming up and I really want to be a part of that, it’s a shame that Terry won’t be involved this weekend (Monday AEDT)," Bulut said.

“I had dinner with him the other night and he’s back in training but not quite ready yet. It’s the first derby between the clubs in four years because Iraklis is now back in the top division, and its fair to say the fans hate each other. Pretty similar to the Sydney derby really.

“PAOK is the more high profile club but if we win that will make it all the sweeter for our supporters.

“I love these derby matches, I played in the Sydney derby of course and enjoyed that. These types of games are what it’s all about as a player.”

Bulut is vowing to score the goals and get the game time required to bring his dream of turning a vaunted career as a youth star for the green and gold into a Socceroos call-up in the near future.

While confident he will make an impression this season at a club which sits 12^th after six games and has four central strikers vying for match minutes, Bulut knows only too well the vagaries of football and where it might take him next after previous spells in the Czech Republic and Turkey.

And he’s keeping the A-League door ajar should events take a twist.

“My aim is to get myself paying regularly, get on the scoresheet regularly and push myself towards the national team sometime in the near future,” he added.

“It’s a good league here, a good level and I think I can do well. The injury has held me back a bit but I am feeling good to go and just want to show what I can do now.

“But, in football, you never know what lies around the corner and if I wasn’t playing in January, for example, then maybe you’d look at things again. The A-League’s a good competition and you never rule anything out.

“It’s early days for me here at Iraklis, and I am going to do all I can to make it a success, whether that means playing as a No.9, a No.10 or in a wide position. I will play wherever the coach wants me to.”

After six goals in 13 games for the Wanderers during a short-term deal last season, Bulut remains a steadfast fan of the club and its coach Tony Popovic.

“I saw they lost their first game of the season but I have no doubts they will come good and they certainly have the right coach leading them," he said.

“They are building a new team again and Poppa will mastermind that and he will get it right. I have total respect for him, the club and their supporters.”