Jake Girdwood-Reich has had an impressive beginning to his A-League career. From climbing the ranks of the Sydney FC Youth and Senior Academy, to making his Sky Blue debut in the Australia Cup 2022, the 19-year old midfielder turned centre back started his first Sydney Derby last Saturday.
“As I was walking out and I saw the amazing tifo, that was incredible and when the whistle was about to go the noise from the crowd was just incredible.
“I really enjoyed it. It was my first start but unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result, but I can at least say now I have started in a Sydney Derby. I am very proud of myself,” the young prodigy shared.
An injury to Jack Rodwell during a pre-season friendly saw Girdwood-Reich undergo a position swap. Despite his unexpected transition into a centre back, the young gun saw this as a chance to prove his versatility amongst a talent filled roster.
“I hadn’t played that centre back position before the Australian Cup game, but I feel quite comfortable there now. I feel like I am not out of place in terms of playing in that position.”
The fluke opportunity to play centre back has allowed the young Aussie to pair up with skillful defender Gabriel Lacerda who signed a one-year loan contract from Ceara SC in Brazil.
“He [Gabriel Lacerda] is very experienced, especially for his age as well. He has played a lot of games in Brazil. He is just very smart in terms of his game. You can see he is a real quality centre back. He is doing very well,” said Girdwood-Reich.
With round six against Perth Glory looming, the young player shared how important it was to secure a win on home turf at Allianz Stadium.
“It hasn’t been the best start in terms of home games, so we want to make that right this weekend against Perth. We also have the following game against Macarthur. For us, we are really looking to get maximum points out of those two games,” he said
“It is really important we get those three points at home.”
“We need to do it for the fans,” Girdwood-Reich concluded.
Grab your tickets now to see Jake Girdwood-Reich and the rest of the Sydney FC team in action this Saturday against Perth Glory.
Match Details
Sydney FC v Perth Glory
Isuzu-UTE A-League Round Six
Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Kick Off: 7:45pm AEDT
Gates Open: 6:45pm AEDT
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ & 10BOLD
Tickets: Click Here
