Central Coast Mariners playmaker Daniel De Silva says he’s dreaming of a second chance in Europan football, as the 23-year-old continues to excel in what has been superb start to the 2020/21 A-League campaign.
Speaking to Daniel Garb and Robbie Cornthwaite on ABC Sport’s Grandstand Football Podcast, De Silva revealed he is keen to build on his two-season stint with Netherlands outfit Roda JC Kerkrade in the Eredivisie and return to Europe in the future.
A Spanish venture is on the top of De silva’s wish-list but the Mariners creator says he’ll consider any offer that may present itself, should he continue to produce a consistent body of work for the resurgent Mariners in the 2020/21 A-League campaign.
Read on as De Silva outlines his future aspirations, how the new-look Mariners have leapt ahead of the pack so far this season, Garb and Cornthwaite’s assessment of the misfiring Wellington Phoenix and analysis of Matt Derbyshire’s ominous form leading Macarthur FC’s frontline.
MORE: Team of the Week, presented by Bunnings Warehouse – Matchweek 8
REPORT: Mariners in dreamland as Simon breaks Phoenix hearts
REACTION: Bozanic hails Mariners’ maturity after breaking down ten-man Phoenix
De Silva growing in confidence as key operator in league-leading Mariners outfit
“Definitely going back to Europe is (what) I want to do, and hopefully I can get back over there soon.”
After a two-season stint in the Netherlands between 2015-17 De Silva returned to Australia, joining the Mariners to recharge, reboot and ultimately plan his next venture into European football.
Now 23, De Silva is progressing through his fourth successive campaign in the A-League since returning from the Netherlands. The midfielder’s sparkling form throughout the first eight games of the 2020/21 season has suggested De Silva is closer to a return overseas than he’s ever been.
“I think to be honest this season I’m just a little bit more settled in my role and position,” De Silva said.
“Last season I changed positions quite a bit throughout the season, and this year I’m really just stuck in that number 10 role on the left side.
“I’ve really become comfortable with that position, I understand what I can and can’t do.
“Having that consistency and knowing what I have to do week in, week out really helps me to be able to stay positive and know what my jobs are.
“(Alen) Stajcic knows what I can do with the ball, so he says ‘just go and express yourself with it, but defensively this is your job’.
“That’s good, I’ve got no problem at all working hard for the team, everybody does it, I think that’s something that really helps success, everyone doing their jobs and the responsibility.”
Just eight games into the 2020/21 A-League campaign, De Silva has already equalled his best-ever A-League return of goals and assists in a single season (two, goals, two assists, four combined).
His uplift in form has matched the remarkable rise of the Mariners, who as a team are surpassing the expectations of all onlookers this season, including Cornthwaite.
“(The Mariners) got 18 points for the whole of last season. They’re already on 18 points this season after just eight games,” Cornthwaite said.
“Last year just the five wins and three draws, so (with) this year’s six wins they’ve already got more wins in eight games this season than they got for the entirety of last season.
“Milan Duric was the top-scorer with five – (Alou) Kuol’s already got five.
“The turnaround is just remarkable. Matty Simon had three goals in 21 games and he’s got three goals already. They’ve already scored more than half the goals they scored for all of last season after eight games.
“If you need anymore proof that they’ve turned things around… Their last (17) games last season they only won two. They haven’t gone out and signed all these superstars, they’ve done it themselves.
“Alen Stajcic… his turnaround is remarkable. I want to know if he drew a line in the sand in pre-season and said enough’s enough, because they’ve just been phenomenal.”
While relishing his own vital role in the Mariners uprising, De Silva says he’s got definite ambitions to venture back to Europe.
The midfielder has spent the best part of four years reflecting on his first European adventure, and as he continues to produce scintillating form in the A-League De Silva can only feel as if his second chance is drawing near.
“For me, the dream is to go play in Spain,” De Silva said.
“I think that probably suits me the best footballing-wise, it’s not as physical as the other leagues in the world, it’s a bit more technical, a bit more passing and things like that.
“That’s definitely one of the countries I would like to go to, but any opportunity that came I would think about it, and think about what’s right for me and if I could be successful in that league.
“For sure, definitely going back to Europe is (what) I want to do, and hopefully I can get back over there soon.”
REPORT: Roar left frustrated as Jets resurgence continues in Redcliffe stalemate
SIMON HILL: The A-League stars with African origins lighting up the 2020/21 campaign
Wellington’s reliance on Dávila causing Ufuk Talay headaches
It’s been a frustrating start to the 2020/21 A-League season for Ufuk Talay and his Wellington Phoenix side, who slumped to a 2-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners at WIN Stadium in Matchweek 8.
Wellington finished third in the 2019/20 A-League campaign, but Talay’s side currently sit tied with Melbourne Victory at the foot of the table in 2020/21, with just one win from six games to start the A-League season.
The 2-0 loss to the Mariners was the worst result of the season so far for the Phoenix, and Garb sees Wellington’s dependance on Mexican creator Ulises Dávila as a growing problem as the season progresses.
“Dávila certainly (has quality), I’m just worried about who he’s got around him.” Garb said.
” (Tomer) Hemed – he’s out injured at the moment – but he seems like the kind of striker who needs crosses in from wide, he needs to beat his opponent one-on-one, he’s got good skills of course.
“Dávila is a different type of player – he likes to go through the middle. When he gets wide he can deliver a good cross in, but that’s not really his natural game.
“Who else is helping him? David Ball is the workhorse if you like up forward, but he’s out for a while now, and I don’t really think he’s been combining in their interplay in the final third as he should be.
It just seems it all goes through Dávila, and if he’s not doing it no one is creating.
“They haven’t been terrible I think in the way in which they’ve played, but to beat teams you’ve got to create enough opportunities going forward.
“They’re playing some nice football, but there isn’t enough real combination play in the final third to really put teams under massive pressure.
“It seems there’s only one avenue to goal in a creative sense, and that is Davila, and that’s a big issue for Ufuk Talay. He’s got to sort it out really quickly.”
Derbyshire becoming the devastating spearhead Bulls fans hoped for
“He didn’t show too many signs of it early on – now he’s clicked.”
He took his time, but in the last two Matchweeks Matt Derbyshire has roared into life for Macarthur FC, and is quickly shaping as one of the deadliest strikers in the league.
Derbyshire netted just one goal in his first six A-League games as the Bulls got off to an indifferent start to their inaugural A-League campaign.
But four goals in two games – including one goal coming off the bench and a hat-trick against Adelaide United in Matchweek 8 – has helped the Englishman well and truly find his feet as Macarthur rose into second spot on the A-League table.
“Matt Derbyshire is a great story,” Garb said.
“He’s a big name player, he scored a lot of goals in Cyprus.
“There certainly would have been a few fans going ‘is this the right guy for us, is this a bit of a dud foreign signing?’
“He didn’t show too many signs of it early on – now he’s clicked. I think he’s showing the goalscoring nous which is right at the top level of the competition.”
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6231552408001
