A delighted Al Hassan Toure fronted the media in the aftermath of his first professional hat-trick, and explained how mental strength was the key to bouncing back from a frustrating game in Sky Blue just seven days earlier.
One week ago, Al Hassan Toure took six shots against Central Coast Mariners. He put just one on target, and ended his second league game as a Sky Blue without breaking his goalscoring duck.
Seven days later, Toure had another six shots – this time, against Newcastle Jets.
This time, he rifled five of those six shots on target, and scored the first hat-trick of his professional career.
But the way Toure felt after the Mariners game and the Jets game was the same; his post-game reaction to the hat-trick display highlighted the mental fortitude of a player eager to prove that if you don’t give up, good things come your way.
“Last game, personally I had a good game, because I didn’t finish the chances, it doesn’t mean I had a bad game,” he explained after Saturday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle.
“Mentally, I knew that if I continued playing the way I did, I’d get my goals.
“It’s about always believing in yourself, it doesn’t matter if you miss a chance or have a bad game, next week you can go again and prove yourself.
“I try my best at training to finish everything I get, to have a good performance in training and prep my body well, recovery, everything. I think once you do all of that outside the pitch, when you come on the pitch, you have this self-belief, you have this confidence that your body is ready.
“Sometimes, people don’t do everything they need to do before the game and come into the game afraid that they’re not fit or lacking something. With me, this year especially, with the injuries I’ve had, I’ve taken care of my body this year with help from the staff and coaches and everyone in the club. I believe that I’m fit and ready to go.”
Toure is back in the Isuzu UTE A-League after three years abroad. Injuries hampered his progression overseas but the former Adelaide United and Macarthur attacker is eager to let the lessons learned from those challenging times push him onwards in his development at the Sky Blues.
Toure was untouchable against the Jets. Wreaking havoc down the left wing in the space vacated by Newcastle’s attacking right-back Thomas Aquilina, Toure scored two near-replica goals in the second half after a clinical strike early in the contest to secure his first-ever senior hat-trick.
Having tucked the hat-trick under his arm after full-time at McDonald Jones Stadium, Toure was asked where he plans to display the prized possession earned after what he defines as the best game of his career.
“Probably to my place first,” he said. “Then I might send it back to Adelaide for my family to see and keep it in my cabinet back home. There are a few things in there, not a lot of things, but it’ll definitely be one of the standout things I have.
“I think it’s probably my best game. I haven’t scored a hat-trick before. I can’t remember in juniors. But it’s special to score your first professional hat-trick. I’m buzzing. I’m very happy.”
