One of the key moments of the Central Coast Mariners Hyundai A-League 2014/15 Season was the injection of exciting attacking midfielder Fabio Ferreira into the club’s line-up.
Ferreira’s recruitment from Adelaide United proved an instant success, with the Portuguese national breathing new life into the Central Coast Mariners midfield and becoming a key cog in the club’s attacking structure.
Having played 51 games with the Reds from 2012, Ferreira signed with the Mariners in the January transfer window, after receiving limited game time with Adelaide in the first half of the season due to injury.
His transfer to the Mariners very quickly saw him become a fan favourite at The Fortress and it was easy to see why – with lightning acceleration and an array of tricks, every time he had the ball at his feet, he seemed to find a new way to bewilder defenders and create space from almost nothing.
His favouritism was also probably boosted by his first performance against rivals Sydney FC in Mariners colours. Ferreira gave the Sky Blues defence plenty of headaches that March day, going home with a brace that could have easily been more as the Mariners went down 4-2 at Allianz Stadium.
A few weeks later, the former Sporting Lisbon and Chelsea FC youth product, became the match winner we all hoped he would be. Taking a free kick from outside the box in Tony Walmsley’s first game in charge against Melbourne City, Ferreira did it all on his own, striking a bullet that thundered past the red and white City wall and straight into the back of the net.
After a slow few weeks building into the game, the goal lifted the Central Coast Stadium crowd and Ferreira celebrated with a group of fans at the front of the stands – with a female fan planting a kiss on the Number 26 on behalf of the whole stadium.
Ferreira finished up 2014/15 as the club’s joint Golden Boot winner, and with a full pre-season under his belt at the Mariners, we cannot wait to see what the winger will do next in 2015/16.
Fabio Ferreira is In – Are you IN? Memberships for the Central Coast Mariners Hyundai A-League 2015/16 campaign are on sale to the general public on Friday July 3. Click here to register your interest!
Existing Members currently have an exclusive period to renew their membership until Friday June 26. For more information call Mariners HQ on 1300 767 442.
