Central Coast Mariners star Fabio Ferreira expects new signing Luis Garcia to leave a lasting impression on the club and even help take his own game to a new level.
Garcia met his new team-mates for the first time on Friday morning before completing his first training session ahead of Saturday night’s highly-anticipated clash with the Wanderers at Central Coast Stadium.
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And Ferreira is already excited by what he’s seen from the 37-year-old during the rigorous 90-minute hit-out.
As a winger this season down the right, Ferreira has so far been the Mariners’ shining light, leading the way with the most goals (four) and most assists (three) from his 10 appearances for the campaign.
And in a scary proposition for opposition sides, the Portuguese flyer expects his own game to lift with Spanish star now in the line-up.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to. He’ll play in the middle, providing me some balls and some runs,” Ferreira told www.a-league.com.au.
“I think he can help me improve my game a lot.
“He’s a very good player, he’s achieved a lot already and has a lot of experience and quality so I’m very excited.
“A player of his quality will help the Mariners team and the club going forward.”
Mariners fans and players alike will be hoping Garcia can have an instant impact in Gosford, as they prepare for a clash with a Wanderers side desperate after two straight defeats.
“It’s going to be hard. But at home we are confident and that we can play a good game and get a good win,” Ferreira said.
“With Luis [in the team] everyone is excited and I think it will boost us a lot.
“We want a good crowd, fans coming to the game gives us inspiration and hopefully we can win for them.”
If the hype around the Central Coast since Garcia’s arrival is anything to go by, the locals are expecting big things from the ex-Liverpool star.
They are banking on Garcia to provide the spark to improve results and move the club away from the Hyundai A-League basement.
Asked if he was aware of the huge expectation on his shoulders, Garcia said: “It goes with the job. I’m happy with that…it’s something I’ve carried since I was very young.
“I’ve always been next to big players and I have had to show I’m good enough to be in that team.
“I’m happy to have that responsibility and the main thing on my mind is to do as good as I can.”
