"They're getting better and better, the years I've been in the A-League the marquees have been pretty special and big name players [but] there haven't been many of Honda's age," Valeri said.

"[Alessandro] Del Piero came [to Sydney FC] at a later stage in his career, so to get Honda in his prime is a big deal.

"The A-League is more attractive for footballers now, the competition is getting better and quality of the Australian players is getting better, it's great to see."

Victory have also signed foreigners Georg Niedermeier (SC Freiburg), Ola Toivonen (Toulouse) and Raul Baena (loan from Granada) but Valeri said Honda's impact on the club has been immediate.

"I love talking about Keisuke because he’s a true professional. His first touch is immaculate and his left foot is something footballers dream of," Valeri said.

"I’m 34 and he's a couple of years younger than me, just the way he goes about his business in the gym before training and how he prepares, it's great to see.

"I love learning and seeing new things and he's given me enthusiasm to do my extra bits and he has that effect on everyone. He's truly fantastic and I'm really excited to see what he can do for Melbourne Victory.

"All the boys who have come in ... they're professionals of the highest level. These guys give you enthusiasm to work hard and everyone is really keen to get the little details right."

It wasn't all praise for Honda from the former Socceroos defender, with the 2011 Asian Cup final still fresh in Valeri's memory.

"I lost an Asian Cup final to him, it's not a great memory of him but I played him three or four times [internationally] and it was just his ability to create something out of nothing," Valeri said.

"It's not about him dribbling 10 players and doing it, it's the way he brings the other players around him into play and uses them to influence a game is truly special.

"He does the simple things so perfectly, it’s truly a pleasure to watch."

As for the most famous addition to the A-League off-season, a man the FFA are refusing the dip into the marquee funds for, Valeri had nothing but praise for Usain Bolt.

"It's great to see athletes take on different challenges in their careers, what he's done is truly amazing and to play football and change sports completely is a big step," Valeri said.

"He's taken it in his stride and done everything he could. His dream of playing football is alive and I'm really happy to see that."