With plenty of depth in the Sydney FC squad this season competition for places is tough, and after being handed a start in game one against North Queensland and given an early chance to impress, young midfielder, Brendan Gan is keen to justify the faith shown by Coach Vitezslav Lavicka.
With plenty of depth in the Sydney FC squad this season competition for places is tough, and after being handed a start in game one against North Queensland and given an early chance to impress, young midfielder, Brendan Gan is keen to justify the faith shown by Coach Vitezslav Lavicka.
“He-s (Lavicka) European based, so he has a lot of knowledge about the game that I-d never even heard of before,” explained Gan. “He wants us to learn the game and play good football instead of just going out there and slogging a win.”
Learning is something Gan has been doing a lot of over the past year.
A part of the Sydney FC side that took the National Youth League title last season – Gan made his Hyundai A-League debut in November as a late substitute against the Queensland Roar.
He played in the remaining eight games of the season, starting in seven of them and describes his first experiences with the first team as extremely beneficial.
“It helped a lot,” he said. “The older guys are like mentors. Many of them have played overseas and have heaps of experience. That-s why I-m here – to learn and become a better football player.”
As one of the young brigade in Sydney-s senior squad Gan knows he has to continue to work hard to earn his time on the pitch but believes the strong internal competition is good for the whole club.
“It-s great to have somebody in front of you or behind you that wants your spot,” he said. “You-re going to give 110% so you don-t give it up. The competitive nature of the team is what-s going to make us champions.”
Coming off a good win, and with all players fully fit competition for places in the final fifteen will again be tough as the team prepares for its first home game of the season this week at training.
Sydney FC-s round-two clash with Adelaide United will be played at the Sydney Football Stadium this Sunday evening, with kick-off at 5pm.
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