PAUL Okon believes Daniel De Silva’s move back to Australia is “exciting for the whole A-League”.
The Central Coast Mariners coach also explained why he thinks De Silva didn’t blossom with a move to Holland, while delving into the starlet’s ambitions to play for the Socceroos.
However, Okon admits he would fancy one day being in the coaching hot seat for the national team.
Here’s the highlights from Okon’s chat with the A-League hour.
DE SILVA ‘EXCITING FOR THE WHOLE A-LEAGUE’
He’s very level headed.
Daniel has the dream [to play for the Socceroos], he’s been there once before... That was part of the reason why he came back - to get regular game time. Not just for his career, but being a World Cup year, to get regular game time knowing if he can consistently perform the national team coach will be looking.
He had probably 18 months to two years of very little football. What we can’t forget is he’s still only twenty years old.
His body’s very good at the moment. He’s worked ever so hard to get himself in good shape.
I think it’s exciting for the whole A-League that Daniel’s back in Australia. He’s performing well and we’d like him to score maybe more goals but he’s certainly working hard. That’ll all fall into place over the next eight months.
WHY DE SILVA DIDN’T BLOSSOM RODA JC IN HOLLAND
I personally think he maybe went 12 months too early. He had just broken into the Perth Glory side and maybe not right physically. He was still only 17 or 18 years old and I agree; I thought going to Holland would’ve worked out for him.
Just speaking to him, he felt that the club where he was at, the playing style didn’t really suit him, didn’t allow him to show what he was capable of.
Then he got injured and was out for a couple of months and the coach loses confidence and time flies by and he wasn’t playing.
We actually tried to get him in January… But he had to rest for a few months [with injury]. But that’s all solved now.
He’ll be back in Europe in some stage and hopefully we can play our part by offering him that opportunity to get to the level that he can.
Daniel De Silva.Picture: Getty ImagesDOEST OKON WANT TO COACH THE SOCCEROOS?
They don’t really say you’re a coach until you’ve been sacked.
I’m still quite young and inexperienced to be thinking about coaching the Socceroos. There’s a lot of work to be done.
I am very ambitious and passionate about it, and want to make sure that when I’m good enough to make the next step in my career; whether I stay at the mariners for the next how long or move that, like as a player, I want to make sure I’m ready.
For the moment I’m really enjoying what I’m doing, where I’m at, and I’ll just let the future sort of sort out itself.
Paul Okon.Picture: Getty ImagesTOM HIARIEJ AND WOUT BRAMA WERE ‘NO BRAINERS’
When both of them came across our scouting networks, it was a no brainer.
They’re exactly the type of players we we’re looking for and the cherry on top is they’re great characters; they’re well liked by the rest of the players.
They bring that experience.
Tom and Wout give us just that little bit of steel in there [in midfield].
Tom Hiariej.Picture: AAP‘SOMETIMES I FIND IT’S MY FAULT’, ‘IN ANY GAME, WE CAN WIN’
Sometimes our playing style probably forced us into making silly decisions when we were under pressure or in possession and that’s cost us goals but I think the main thing for us this season is, moving on from last season, was to be competitive in every game.
That’s what we’ve felt we’ve done.
We feel our starting line-up in any game, we can win. At the moment we still aren’t there as a football club in terms of our depth.
We have a big opportunity to push for that top six.
Paul Okon on A-League Hour: De Silva ‘exciting for whole A-League’, Socceroos playing and coaching ambitions