Ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final rematch against Perth, Sydney FC defender Rhyan Grant admits he was spurred on by the abuse the opposing fans were giving him throughout the 2019 decider.
Composed under pressure, the Sydney FC seasoned defender was only worried about doing his job for the team which helped him claim his third Championship in Sky Blue.
“Obviously you do hear so many people booing but at the same time you’ve got a job to do so you get on with the game,” he said.
“Definitely when it came to extra-time and penalties it spurred me on to make sure I made a difference and didn’t give them the last laugh.
“They got on my back there but it is just part of the game and all good fun.
“Winning it [the Grand Final] was massive, it was more massive for us. It was a nice little ending too to have the last laugh but it is a part of the game and creates a bit of atmosphere which is nice.
“It only started in the Grand Final, there was a bit on the line so there were a few decisions that the referee made that went either way for both teams but obviously being majority Perth fans there they didn’t really like me and the haircut didn’t help either,” Grant added.
Since the Grand Final win, Grant has been involved in 10 of Sydney FC’s 15 wins this season and is looking to add to clubs three Premiership trophies.
“As cliché as it is we’re playing it game by game,” he said.
“We’ve got a little bit of a lead at the moment but we definitely don’t want to slip on that and make the most of that to win every game.
“The more games we win will set us up even better in the finals and we want to get the Premiership as soon as possible.
“We know we have to beat some good teams in the next couple of weeks and Perth is first of them and we’re quietly confident we can get that done and build on that,” he added.
As a Sydney FC fan favourite, the 29-year-old also praised the way his own Sky Blues fans support the side when the club plays at Netstarta Jubilee Stadium.
“Our Members, fans and the Cove are massive for us. Especially at Kogarah [Netstrata Jubilee Stadium] where it’s such a nice boutique season we can definitely hear them and they get right behind us,” he said.
“The least number of Perth fans the better for me when it comes to games like this but it will be nice to play them in front of our home crowd at Kogarah.
“We’ve got a great record there and our fans always come out in numbers so it will be a good atmosphere.”
Sydney FC take on Perth Glory in a Grand Final rematch at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Saturday (kick off 5pm AEDT). With a family friendly kick off time, and Macca’s Families on the Field post match, bring the whole family down for a great afternoon out.
