cbowden9000
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http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1027711/Bojic's-incentiveThere is far more than three points on the line for Central Coast defender Pedj Bojic when his side meets Brisbane Roar at Suncorp tonight.
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The former Australia youth international is in negotiations with Mariners coach Graham Arnold for a new contract and a strong performance against a high-flying Roar will go a long way to sealing a new deal.
“I’ve enjoyed playing under Arnie, he’s brought the best out of me and has got me playing in my natural role,” Bojic said. “You want to be known for one position ideally and I think I have found mine now.
“I like to think I’m playing the best football of my career at the moment.”
Mariners boss Graham Arnold is set to offer Bojic a new two year deal amid competition for his signature from Perth Glory.
“There are a couple of clubs interested and we’re talking right now,” Bojic said.
Bojic, who has consolidated his reputation as a reliable and versatile option in defence this season, is also doing some shrewd business off the field, with a personal training project - Pedj Bojic Impact Training - netting him several corporate clients in his home city of Sydney and a tidy income away from the game.
“I came back from England carrying an injury and my partner asked me what I would do if I couldn't play the game again,’’ Bojic told The World Game.
“That got me thinking about the future and life after football and I made some decisions about forming this company to give myself some long term stability because as everybody knows football is a short career.”
The 26-year old is even spreading love with teammate Brad Porter enlisted to head up his expansion plans on the Central Coast as Bojic bids to spread his company.
“I don’t have any problem combining the business and football,’” said Bojic. “I have a few people working for me in Sydney and I devote time when I can, so long as it doesn’t interfere with anything I need to do for the Mariners.
“It hasn’t quite got to the stage where I don’t need the money from football anymore.
“It’s more of a long term thing which will look after me when I retire from the game.
“When I came back from England I was injured and that’s what sparked the idea to get myself another career. I was worried that if I broke down again I’d be in a really difficult situation with nothing else behind me to fall back on.
“Hopefully I have another ten years or so in the game and by that time I want to have a really established business and my own training studio.”
Bojic, who is relishing the technical style adopted by former Socceroos assistant Arnold, expects the club to be right in the mix at the top end of the table all season.
“We’re in a great position. We’re coming off a couple of weeks break and we have two games in hand over Adelaide which is seven points clear of us, so six points would have us almost neck and neck with it,” he said.
“We’re feeling fresh and we’re hungry and we’re not going to Suncorp Stadium to sit back. Brisbane is a point ahead of us and we want to leapfrog it.
“Under Arnie we’re playing some excellent stuff. He’s got us playing with patience and in a more technical way than under Lawrie McKinna.
“Even when we are behind we don’t panic and rush the game.
“We’re probably more of a footballing side now than before. Everybody has their own style and Arnie and Lawrie differ a bit but you can’t question Lawrie’s approach because he brought a lot of success to the club.”