Fresh from making his 150th Hyundai A-League appearance at the weekend, we caught up with Rhyan Grant to reflect on his time as a Sky Blue so far.
150 games in the Hyundai A-League, that’s quite and achievement, you must be pleased?
Yeah I’m very pleased to have reached 150 games. It’s been a long time coming and there’s been a couple of speed bumps along the way but I’m stoked to reach such a milestone with the one club, especially a big club like Sydney FC and it’s something I’ll always remember.
Did you ever think you’d reach such a milestone when you first started?
I don’t think I ever thought about any particular milestones in terms of games to be honest, I was just stoked to get to play the one game for Sydney FC let alone 150. Those couple of big injuries in the last few years slowed me down a little but to be able to recover from them and come back even stronger makes this a little bit sweeter.
You’re of a rare breed of one club men, what is it about Sydney FC that’s seen you stay Sky Blue?
It’s home. I’ve been here for so long, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be, it would feel strange to play elsewhere. It’s a massive club and the professional environment we’ve got here has always been one of the best in the league. I guess you could say I’m a part of the furniture now!
How have you seen the club evolve over the years?
There’s been a bit of change over the years, but always for the good. The club has always been huge but especially over the last half of a decade we’ve created a real winning culture on and off the field. This year we’re all very family oriented and we’re a super close bunch of boys which makes it an enjoyable team to be a part of.
What memorable and funny moments stand out for you?
In terms of memorable moments, there’s all our trophy wins over the years, but one that really stands out is of course my debut (Sunday 21 December, 2008 at home v Perth Glory). I can’t go past as well scoring in the Grand Final, that made that win even more special. In terms of funny moments there’s a couple I can tell. Michael Zullo colliding with the fourth officials table, probably not funny at the time, but looking back at it now we share a laugh about it. Also the time I high fived Shinji Ono, he was complaining to the ref about something and his hands were outstretched so I gave him one as I ran past.
From the National Youth League to a recent Socceroos call up, that’s a dream come true isn’t it?
I’ve definitely come a long way. I never thought it would happen so I’m super stoked to be given a chance to train and hopefully play some part. I’ll be giving everything in this camp for the chance to represent my country at home.
