Another article for you guys. This time I've interviewed new signing Ahmad Elrich.
Elrich promises to step up for the Mariners
By James Heffield, Betfair journalist
New Central Coast Mariners signing Ahmad Elrich says he is back to full fitness and fans can expect to see a much improved performance from him in the upcoming season.
The former Wellington Phoenix marquee player struggled for form last season but theres little doubt that at his best, he has the strength, skill and speed to outplay most other A-League midfielders.
When he joined the Phoenix early last season the right midfielder had just recovered from a serious knee injury suffered while playing for the Socceroos in a September 2006 Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait. He missed out on the Phoenixs pre-season and had to quickly adapt to a new coach, new team mates, and a new country.
At the end of the day, I went there when I wasnt completely fit, Elrich said. I didnt have a pre-season or any time to prepare but this season Im fit and it will be very different.
Elrich said he moved to the Mariners mainly for personal reasons, rather than the money. Wellington had been a great place to live and had a good set-up, but many of his friends and family lived in Sydney and playing for the Mariners would make visiting them easier, he said. The transition into the Mariners squad had been smooth because he already had a good relationship with coach Lawrie McKinna and many of the players from his time playing for NSL side Parramatta Power.
The Mariners fans were well thought of and he had heard good things about the teams supporters club, the Marinators. The boys say they are really fanatical and support the club well, so thats great.
Elrich said he still had ambitions of playing for Australia but he was focussed on doing his best for the Mariners this season. The A-League was growing in popularity and although it wasnt yet up to the standard of the English Premier League, where Elrich spent a season with Fulham, the A-Leagues quality was improving, he said. The league is fantastic for what it is and what it will become in the future, but the premier league is full of world class players who play for their national teams so you cant really make a comparison.
He didnt want to make any predictions for who would win the upcoming A-League season but said Sydney would be one of the biggest challenges for the Mariners. On paper Sydney look to have all the players, but all of the teams will be tough.
Elrich said he was looking forward to playing against his younger brother Tarek when the Central Coast took on the Newcastle Jets tomorrow afternoon. I might jump over to his side of the pitch a few times if I get the chance. The last time I played him I was playing for the Phoenix and we beat the Jets 3-2.
When he wasnt training or playing football, Elrich said he spent much of his time catching up with friends and family. He also enjoyed boxing but joked that it was just a hobby and he had no plans to follow in Anthony Mundines footsteps.
[edit: fixed link - adz]
Elrich promises to step up for the Mariners
By James Heffield, Betfair journalist
New Central Coast Mariners signing Ahmad Elrich says he is back to full fitness and fans can expect to see a much improved performance from him in the upcoming season.
The former Wellington Phoenix marquee player struggled for form last season but theres little doubt that at his best, he has the strength, skill and speed to outplay most other A-League midfielders.
When he joined the Phoenix early last season the right midfielder had just recovered from a serious knee injury suffered while playing for the Socceroos in a September 2006 Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait. He missed out on the Phoenixs pre-season and had to quickly adapt to a new coach, new team mates, and a new country.
At the end of the day, I went there when I wasnt completely fit, Elrich said. I didnt have a pre-season or any time to prepare but this season Im fit and it will be very different.
Elrich said he moved to the Mariners mainly for personal reasons, rather than the money. Wellington had been a great place to live and had a good set-up, but many of his friends and family lived in Sydney and playing for the Mariners would make visiting them easier, he said. The transition into the Mariners squad had been smooth because he already had a good relationship with coach Lawrie McKinna and many of the players from his time playing for NSL side Parramatta Power.
The Mariners fans were well thought of and he had heard good things about the teams supporters club, the Marinators. The boys say they are really fanatical and support the club well, so thats great.
Elrich said he still had ambitions of playing for Australia but he was focussed on doing his best for the Mariners this season. The A-League was growing in popularity and although it wasnt yet up to the standard of the English Premier League, where Elrich spent a season with Fulham, the A-Leagues quality was improving, he said. The league is fantastic for what it is and what it will become in the future, but the premier league is full of world class players who play for their national teams so you cant really make a comparison.
He didnt want to make any predictions for who would win the upcoming A-League season but said Sydney would be one of the biggest challenges for the Mariners. On paper Sydney look to have all the players, but all of the teams will be tough.
Elrich said he was looking forward to playing against his younger brother Tarek when the Central Coast took on the Newcastle Jets tomorrow afternoon. I might jump over to his side of the pitch a few times if I get the chance. The last time I played him I was playing for the Phoenix and we beat the Jets 3-2.
When he wasnt training or playing football, Elrich said he spent much of his time catching up with friends and family. He also enjoyed boxing but joked that it was just a hobby and he had no plans to follow in Anthony Mundines footsteps.
[edit: fixed link - adz]
