Mariners defender Noah Smith is loving life back on the Central Coast, having traded the orange of Brisbane for the Yellow and Navy of the Mariners earlier this month.
The 22-year-old previously played for the Central Coast during Nick Montgomery’s first season at the helm, being his second ever signing as Head Coach.
After making 11 appearances and scoring two goals, Smith spent a season away, before deciding to return to the Mariners.
The defender is extremely pleased with his decision so far, loving life back on the Central Coast.
“It’s unbelievable to be back on the Coast. The Mariners preach the family mentality and culture, and you really feel it when you are a part of the club,” Smith said.
“The way that I have been embraced since I have returned has been awesome. So many familiar faces and even the new boys, we all gel so well together. It has been really great. When I got the chance to come back here, I snapped at it.
“I know how special this team is and how good the people are that are here. It has been great being back and hopefully we can add to what they achieved last year.”
Unlike regular pre-seasons, it isn’t just the A-League that Nick Montgomery and the boys have on their minds. Instead, the AFC Cup is just around the corner.
With our first game away to Terengganu on September 20th, the team have been putting in the hard yards to get prepared.
“We know that the conditions in Asia are going to be tough but also playing during the week and then backing up on weekends as well. That is the reason that Monty is scheduling pre-season games multiple times a week, so we are getting used to playing with our bodies under fatigue because that is what we are going to experience,” he said.
“Monty and Serg are doing really well in preparing us for the challenge, and it is one we are looking forward to.”
The squad are looking to make a serious dent in the competition, with Smith and the side fully focused on continuing to achieve success this season after the Championship last campaign.
“We want to go back-to-back but we also have the AFC Cup as well,” Smith said.
“We want to be the second Australian team to win an Asian trophy. It will be a big year with a lot of games, but we will have a deep squad and there is no reason why we can’t win both competitions.”
