The Central Coast Mariners are excited to announce the contract extension of Liam Rose who has put pen to paper on an agreement that will see him remain at the club until at least the end of the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 season.
The young midfielder who was originally contracted until the end of this season has now signed a one-season extension and is confident that he will play his best football under Head Coach, Paul Okon.
Rose returned last week from the Young Socceroos World Cup Qualifiers in Bahrain and has this week firmed up his future with the Yellow & Navy under Okon who Rose knows well from his time with the Young Socceroos.
Last season Rose’s breakout campaign saw him voted by his teammates as the 2016 Mariners Medallist. Rose made his first appearance of the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season off the bench on the weekend against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
At just 19-years-of-age, Rose already has 38 Hyundai A-League appearances to his name and is looking forward to developing his game under Paul Okon at the Central Coast Mariners.
“It’s an exciting time for me,” Rose said. “It’s been a long time coming and I’m happy it’s all sorted so I can now focus on my football and focus on my future with the Central Coast Mariners.
“The club is heading in the right direction with its coaching staff and players so I am really looking forward to staying here,” Rose said.
Speaking after signing his contract extension at the Central Coast Mariners Centre of Excellence, Rose said that Paul Okon made the decision an easy one.
“I’ve had Paul Okon for a few years now with the Young Socceroos so I knew what we were going to get when he came in and I think he will bring the best out in me and I will improve my game a lot under him,” Rose said.
“Paolo brings the best out in young players, you can see that in the players he has moved on from the Young Socceroos to the Socceroos. Since he’s arrived the lift has been massive, you could see even after the first session how hard he drives us, training is more competitive and that’s what we need,” Rose said.
With Young Socceroos commitments now drawn to an end, Rose said that his focus is firmly on the Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League.
“I want to help the club get back to where it should be, this is a great family club,” Rose said. “The staff, the players are all so welcoming and everyone is so involved, I love it.
“I want to work my way into the starting team this season but we have a great team and competition in the midfield which makes everyone work harder and brings out the best in us all. With Monty, Berry & Tavares in the same position we are all working hard and all want to improve and that’s only going to strengthen the team,” Rose said.
Central Coast Mariners Head Coach, Paul Okon said that the contract extension of Rose is a coup for the club and spoke about his big future.
“I am delighted that Liam Rose has decided to extend his future with the Central Coast Mariners,” Okon said. “He’s a promising young talent that will develop into a top A-League player and if he works hard there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have ambitions to become a Socceroo and maybe one-day play abroad.
“The club has a philosophy of giving opportunities to young players and he’s certainly one that has potential to do great things.
“I’ve been working with Liam for about three years now so I know exactly where he’s at in terms of his development and what he can do. It certainly does help that we’ve had that experience together because Liam also knows what I expect and I know what he can give.
“There’s competition for places in the squad and young players need to be able to handle that and step up. Good young players will take their chances when they’re made available and continue to improve,” Okon said.
