Perth Glory’s latest goal scorer Todd Howarth says he’s determined to take any chance that comes his way as he looks to help his side into the finals for the first time.
Despite playing in just his eighth A-League match, the former Perth SC player demonstrated his quality last weekend by slotting his first goal at the top level, firing home a 54th-minute equaliser for the Glory after Gold Coast United took the lead before half-time.
It may have been just a temporary reprieve as United pulled ahead within 11 seconds of the kick-off, but for many viewers it was still conclusive evidence Howarth belonged at this level.
And there appears plenty more in store from the composed left midfielder as he looks to make the best of a chance he thought might have fallen by the wayside.
“I’d had a few trials with the Glory a few years before and that didn’t work out,” said Howarth from the club’s temporary base on the Gold Coast as it prepares for the second part of its Queensland road trip, a tough assignment in North Queensland.
“I was always hoping they’d come knocking at my door again (but) I thought my chance had passed me by.”
“So I went overseas for a couple of years and had a bit of a break from football and then came back and got into it.”
“I just pretty much concentrated on the game and played state league and the opportunity came up and I knew that if I was ever given a chance, it only comes around once in a lifetime, I thought I would be stupid if I said no to it.”
However, when the Glory came knocking, there were still difficulties involved as playing for the club required him to leave his job as a bank teller.
Howarth said it was a tough decision but nowhere near as hard as dealing with the uncertainty over his signing, as the 27-year-old’s recruitment became complicated by the signing of Chris Coyne from Colchester United.
Colchester’s reluctance to release its skipper Coyne had meant the Glory could not finalise their big-name signings and know how much room was left in the salary cap until just a few weeks before the season began.
Indeed, if ever there was a last-minute signing it was Howarth as he only officially put pen to paper just hours before the club’s Round 1 clash with Adelaide, going on to play the second half of that game as a replacement for the injured Jamie Coyne.
“It was a bit of a risk but I could always go back to the bank, so I thought I may as well have a crack at it,” Howarth said.
“(But) the weeks leading up to it were a bit iffy, because of the salary cap and we had some pretty good players coming into the team and they came in quite late.”
“So I was notified quite late that I’d be signed.”
“It took me a few weeks to get up to speed (but) I suppose I’ve got a few minutes under my belt and got a little bit more confident and things are going okay now.”
“I’m just pleased that it worked out well because it sort of looked like I wouldn’t get in there.”
