The Frenchman, who made over 200 EPL appearances across spells with Southampton, Manchester United and Everton impressed during a 12-game stint at Western Sydney Wanderers last season, on loan from Ligue 1 Nice.

Currently on the books of Greek Super League battlers AE Kifisia, Schneiderlein, 34, developed a fondness for Australia during his brief stay and wants another crack.

“I signed a one year contract in Greece, which is coming to a close, and I’m looking for the next chapter,” Schneiderlein told FTBL. “I really enjoyed my time in Australia and if another opportunity were to come my way again I’d certainly consider it.”

Schneiderlein has endured a challenging 10 months since exiting Wanderland - despite Mark Rudan’s desire to turn his loan into a permanent move.

Amid multiple offers, he opted to sign for Turkish Super Lig Konyaspor, only to abruptly depart by mutual consent just 10 days into a two-year deal, citing “family reasons.”

Next stop was Athens-based Kifisia, who after serial promotions after fighting to remain in the top flight. The club were looking to leverage his experience and leadership qualities but a quad injury - which he’s now finally shrugged off - has reduced him to just five league appearances to date.

However, a fully fit Schneiderlin is now looking to make an impact in the season run-in, whilst keeping an eye on the next step.

“The problem with my quad required a bit of time and was disappointing for me,” he added. “But I’m fit now and feeling good and with six games left I’m looking to do all I can to help the team.”

Schneiderlin had brief discussions with Western United boss John Aloisi prior to leaving Australia last May, the pair sharing a similar football philosophy which might portend a move to Melbourne in 2024-2025.

“My time in Australia turned out to be a great opportunity - to be honest I’d never considered going there before,” he explained.

“Wanderers were a good club, good people there and I enjoyed the experience working under Mark Rudan. It was a new culture in my resume.

“I found the league to be competitive with a lot of energy. There were a few reasons I didn’t continue but I was happy and did the best I could, and I like to think everyone around the club only has good things to say about me.

“They wanted me to stay permanently but I have to be honest I was also getting a lot of calls from Europe and I wanted to take my time making a decision, and didn’t want to take it lightly.

“I had offers from France, Turkey, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia and ultimately I didn’t take the best decision. But you learn from it.”

Schneiderlin still follows the A-League from afar, with a particularly keen eye on Wanderers where Rudan has endured a tempestuous time, running into strife with the game’s governors and even his own players. 

“Mark is a very passionate guy - I’ve been following what’s going on,” he added. “He’s someone who can’t hide his emotions. Maybe sometimes he needs to keep that just for the changing room.

“When he’s happy he’s over-happy and he’s angry he’s over-angry. Sometimes that can play against him. We keep in touch and he’s an honest, open guy. We had a good relationship.”

Schneiderlin sees the A-League as a crèche for young talent, with the hatchlings in need of wise heads on the pitch to guide them.

“Most teams have three or four standout players and the rest are youngsters who are learning to improve their technical qualities. One thing I love is that they’re always listening and learning and want to be the best they can be,” he said.

“Maybe that’s one thing you don’t have in Europe where the young players are maybe more talented but they don’t listen.

“When I was young I always looked up to the experienced players and now I’m trying to show them the best way to conduct themselves.

“I try and show that every day in training. I’m not there to shout and scream at players and think that because I had a good career that I can take everyone lightly.

“When someone makes a mistake I’ll speak to them about it but you must do it in the right way. Everyone is different and they’ll react in different ways. You have to understand that. To be a leader you have to adapt to those around you.”

Schneiderlin played a role in mentoring Hearts midfielder Cameron Nieuwenhof in their time together in Wanderland, and isn’t surprised by his progress in the Scottish Premiership.

“I’ve been following him,” he said. “He’s a very quiet guy who’s doing his job perfectly and there’s no need to shout at players like him if he makes a mistake.

“He’s responds to a quiet, calm approach. He took a lot from me and I’m very happy to have helped him a bit and to see him doing well.”