Brisbane Roar can thank 20-month-old Amar Berisha for securing the services of goal-scoring genius Besart Berisha for another two years.

The defending A-League champions added some security to their future and more momentum to their late-season finals surge by announcing on Wednesday they had re-signed the passionate 26-year-old Albanian striker, the competition’s leading goal scorer with 13 from 20 games.

One of the factors in turning down several enticing European approaches was his young son Amar’s infatuation with the water since arriving from Europe.

“I never see a kid who stays in the water and doesn’t want to eat, doesn’t want to drink, doesn’t want to sleep,” laughed Berisha who lives opposite Brisbane’s popular Southbank beach.

“He’s learned to say ‘we go to water’ now every day at 6am when he wakes up he’s saying ‘water, water’.

“I can’t get him out of the water, so I have to stay here.”

The fiery Berisha was suspended for one game last month after taking his shirt off and challenging Sydney FC defender Pascal Bosschaart to a fight.

The manner in which Brisbane manager Ange Postecoglou and the club stood by him helped convince him he wanted to stay with Brisbane despite some fairly tempting overseas offers.

“People make mistakes. I’m not perfect,” he said of his clash with Bosschaart over on-field sledging.

“The main thing was the club supported me because they know what kind of person I am.

“I fight for my team, I will protect my team and I was really glad the club stood behind my back.

“It was a big thing for me.”

Berisha said Brisbane was the best thing that happened for his soccer.

“I am playing my best football here,” he smiled.

“I had offers from other clubs but for me Europe was not so much important.

“I play in high level and small level in Europe and the most time I enjoy my soccer is in Brisbane so there’s no reason to change.”

“In the end it’s important not to look at what other teams offer you but to follow your heart.”

Postecoglou was delighted with Berisha’s re-signing.

“With him being top goal scorer in the league, there were other clubs who were interested in him, but as long as we could come up with the right deal for him, he’d be happy to stay, and I’m pretty pleased we came up with something,” he said.

“I’m sure we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”