Football
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Vedran Janjetovic insists he left Sydney FC on good terms

He slammed Sydney FC for "months of lies" and claimed he wasn't wanted, but Vedran Janjetovic now insists he left the A-League club on good terms.

And the Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper hosed down any suggestion he was rattled by last month's Sydney derby snake-throwing antics, putting the frosty reception from former fans down to "a bit of banter."

Given permission to speak to media for the first time since his bitter cross-town defection nearly two months ago, Janjetovic confirmed on-field signs he feels happily at home further out west.

The 29-year-old stepped straight between the Wanderers' posts and delivered five mostly composed performances, including Saturday night's sorely needed 3-1 away win over the Wellington Phoenix.

Helping Janjetovic is goalkeeper coach Zeljko Kalac and head coach Tony Popovic, whom he described as the country's best mentoring team.

"Spider helped my game a lot at the start of my career, and here we're getting good training in - the best in Australia," he said.

"And with Popa having the boys under the microscope at times he's getting the most out of them."

Most notably, Janjetovic has softened his stance towards the table-topping Sky Blues, where he spent five years but became restless after losing his No. 1 spot to Danny Vukovic this season.

In December Sydney coach Graham Arnold claimed Janjetovic forced the club's hand by demanding a release following weeks of absence through personal leave.

It prompted a quite spectacular Instagram tirade during which the player accused his old employer of lying and treating him like he wasn't there.

Asked how he felt now, the response was more measured.

"I've spoken to everyone there and we left it on good terms," he said.

"Everyone else is going to perceive it differently, that's up to them.

"I know I left there on good terms so it's all good from my end."

Of course, becoming the first player to move directly between Sydney and the Wanderers since the latter's inception did not sit well in the eyes of the Sky Blues faithful, who made their resentment clear on Janjetovic's first return to Allianz Stadium.

The former fan favourite was greeted with jeers and a shower of rubber snakes in January's goalless derby draw.

But his response, a kind of smiling death stare and then an authoritative display, indicated he'd passed the pressure test.

"It was just a bit of banter," Janjetovic said.

"I was always going to expect something ... but you try to stay out of it and focus on the game at hand.

"I think I handled that pretty well that night."

Meanwhile, Nicolas Martinez has voiced his desire to stay in the A-League after this season.

The Argentine playmaker has been a revelation since joining the Wanderers on loan from Olympiacos.

Against the Phoenix he contributed a goal and assist to Brendon Santalab's brace, lifting the under-pressure Wanderers into the top six ahead of Sunday's home clash with the Central Coast Mariners.

"I'm very happy here with the club," Martinez said.

"The quality of life in Australia is amazing."

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