To reach 100 A-League matches is one thing, but Wellington Phoenix midfielder Tim Brown is just as proud to have reached the milestone with a Kiwi club.
To reach 100 A-League matches is one thing, but Wellington Phoenix midfielder Tim Brown is just as proud to have reached the milestone with a Kiwi club.
The iconic No.6 began his A-League career at Newcastle, where he played 10 matches before being snared by Ricki Herbert to cross the Tasman.
Brown said while he initially turned down Herbert’s offer, the grace shown by Newcastle to release him to play for the New Zealand club allowed him to play for a team he loves.
“When I was looking for an opportunity to play professionally the Knights were in the A-League but they didn’t want to look at Kiwis.
“I had to go to Aussie to get a chance to show what I could do. When I signed for Newcastle people started to take notice.”
Now, heading into his 90th appearance for the Wellington club, he hasn’t looked back.
“I’m so glad I came back to Wellington and the Phoenix. It has been a great experience.
“A lot of players have come and gone, but we have a really close group and every day is a fun day when you come to work. In such an environment the 100 game mark creeps up on you.”
A daunting task awaits if they’re to celebrate in style. An away match against the defending champion Brisbane Roar – who have a 32-match unbeaten streak – and are unbeaten in the six matches played so far this season.
Despite the inevitable comparisons to ‘David versus Goliath’, Brown said his side are improving steadily despite the stuttering start they’ve made to the campaign.
“We are building something special here and a lot of good things are still to come,” he said.
“We’ve been on an upward curve. Last year was difficult but we still made the playoffs.”
The Phoenix tackle the Brisbane Roar on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium.
