His door remains open but no-one’s knocking as yet, leaving Mark Bosnich wondering whether his return from football’s wilderness will be a return trip.
Despite some wonderful form for the Central Coast during his seven-week A-League guest stint, which included a ‘save of the season’ against Wellington last weekend, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa goalkeeper has no plans beyond his first family Christmas in Australia for almost 20 years.
The reformed drug addict, aged 36, is keen to play on but may be forced back into retirement if no offers are forthcoming.
“I would love to (keep playing). I was out of football for a long period and sometimes you don’t realise how much you love something until it is gone,” he said on Wednesday.
“I just need to keep working hard, performing well and hopefully those doors open.”
He added: “I’m not thinking too far ahead. Hopefully it keeps going the way it’s going but it can also go the other way and experience has taught me that.”
“You just have to be humble, which I really am trying to be, and be happy where I am at the moment.”
Asked if retirement was a possibility, he replied: “We will see when the time comes.”
“For the time being I’m going to keep working hard and not look too far ahead.”
“If you have one foot in the future and one foot in the past then the present suffers. I don’t want that to happen.”
The one-time Socceroos custodian, who now preaches to youth about the dangers of drug use, admits to being shocked at how well his big frame has re-adapted to life as a professional footballer.
“What I have been pleasantly surprised with is (how well) the body’s held up … that has surprised me,” he said.
“I’ve had a lot of obstacles put in front of me. Some of them have been natural obstacles and some have been unnatural.”
“The whole experience has been difficult but so it should be.”
Bosnich appears to be already planning for life beyond football, revealing he will be travelling to LA in late October to begin work on a documentary.
He also could not confirm whether he saw his long-term future in England or Australia, admitting both places are close to his heart.
“They are the two best countries in the world and I love them both dearly,” he said.
“But I don’t know (where I will end up).”
