High praise ... Trent Sainsbury has impressed this season. Source: Peter Clark / News Limited
Young Central Coast defender Trent Sainsbury should be considered by Socceroos coach Holger Osieck as a solution to the country's defensive hole.
On Fox Sports' Kick Off program on Wednesday, John Kosmina asked Mariners coach Graham Arnold whether his centre-back was ready for internationall football right now.
"I think he is," Arnold replied.
"I've been in the position Holger's in and you don't like coaches putting players forward, but I think the higher the level the better Sainsbury can go.
"Look at Alex Wilkinson last year, Patrick Zwaanswijk took Alex Wilkinson to another level and he went overseas. He's doing the same with young Sainsbury as well."
Sainsbury talked this week about his inspiration - but it wasn't a soccer player, AFL star or baseballer (the sports he loved most) that he looked up to when it came to role models.
Instead, the immensely talented Central Coast defender stayed closer to home. As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter that his father, Scott, wasn't a star. What mattered most was that he - and his close-knit family - was there for him all the time.
Talking to Sainsbury, the influence of his parents on his life and his career was never far from the conversation.
According to Perth-born-and-raised Sainsbury, his father could have been a top-notch player, "but didn't have the goals to achieve anything in soccer".
"I played all my junior football for Armadale (Perth) and Dad is almost a life member there," Sainsbury said. "I just wanted to follow in his footsteps. In my eyes he was a great player and is a great dad, and if I can do anything to make him proud of me then I will.
"A lot of people said he could have played at a decent level, but he didn't have those goals because I think he wanted to hang around more with his mates as well as do the family thing.
"It probably played on his mind a bit because his advice to me was 'you have one shot at this. Go out and make the most of it. After you're done with your career, I don't want you doing bricklaying and stuff like I am. After you're finished then you can muck about with your mates'."
Sainsbury, 21, has certainly gone a long way to living up to his promise to make his family proud.
After three years at the Mariners this has, without doubt, been his breakthrough season. In the absence of captain Alex Wilkinson, now playing in Korea, he has made one of the central defensive positions his own, combining with veteran Patrick Zwaanswijk and, at times Zach Anderson, to form one of the best defensive units in the A-League.
He joined Central Coast three seasons ago from Perth Glory and played nine games (seven starts) in 2010-11 then nine games last season (just three starts) but started in 25 of the 27 regular season games this year.
"During pre-season Arnie (coach Graham Arnold) gave me a book to read then told me to write down my goals in the back," he says. "One was to win the Premiers Plate, which we came very close to doing, one was to make the grand final, which we have, and the other was to play regularly.
"So, I am pretty happy with how things have gone so far."
Sainsbury credits Arnold with helping him to become the player he is.
"I know I have had a short career but he is the No 1 coach as far as I am concerned," he says. "If I get to go to another club down the track and have another coach like Arnie I'd be very happy.
"He is so knowledgeable and supportive. He gives every player confidence and has built a great culture at the club.
"If I work hard and have the right mindset then I will be able to achieve the ambition of playing in Europe."
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