More than one and a half years after signing for the Western Sydney Wanderers, goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson made his first appearance for the club this Saturday in their 2-0 victory over Perth.
Despite this ostensibly large wait, Tyson has established himself as one of the club’s most valuable custodians with his efforts off the pitch and within the squad. He is well known for his work with charity and seemingly perpetual friendliness. With first-choice keeper, Ante Covic, incurring a minor injury, fans were delighted to see Tyson finally given a chance.
Jerrad describes the experience as “a real mix of emotion”.
“Obviously I have a lot of respect for the shirt and to be able to pull it on for real and represent the supporters of this club was a real honour.”
Tyson could not have asked for a better debut, earning a clean sheet with some sharp goalkeeping – particularly in the second half. On the 70th minute, a goal-line scramble looked sure to go in before Tyson safely landed on the ball. Late in the game, the twenty four year old made another pair of sharp saves from Perth Glory long shots, sealing his team’s victory.
Jerrad describes that his performance helped to relieve some pressure, “playing well was important because Ante has a huge pair of gloves to fill and I needed to prove to myself that I’m capable of filling them, which I did.
“So overall it was a good way to blow some cobwebs out and take a bit of weight off the shoulders.”
However, Tyson is, as always, patient and understanding when it comes to the potential of future appearances – putting the team first. The Wanderers have a packed couple of months ahead, with the final stretch of the A-League season and Asian Champions League sure to provide him with plenty of chances.
Ante Covic, though, has been consistently one of the team’s best players over the last two seasons and Tyson describes him as “a vital part of this team”.
“Of course I want to play in every game and I’m sure more opportunities will arise but it’s important to understand that no individual is bigger than the team and if the boss decides Ante is the best person to win a particular game then I’ll accept that.
“Just as I will if he decides I’m the best man for the job.”
Tyson’s performance against Perth was vital in sealing three points, which has brought the club within striking distance of a stuttering Brisbane Roar. The league-leaders have lost their last two consecutive games and are only four points ahead of the Western Sydney Wanderers in second place.
But according to Tyson, this opportunity is not distracting Popovic’s squad, “regardless of our league position or the opportunities ahead, our approach will never change. We only focus on the game ahead of us and control what we can control.
If we do that then we know that more often than not we will achieve our goals. We want success and we are a very driven playing group so we certainly go into every game with that in mind.”
To handle the congested amount of fixtures in the coming months, due to the Asian Champions League (ACL) group stage which has the club playing midweek and flying into countries such as Japan and China, Popovic has brought in numerous players who are not part of the A-League squad but available for ACL.
Tyson describes, “The new boys have been fantastic. It’s not hard to find motivation when you’re involved with such a big club.
“Each of the signings have found their feet and fitted in really well with the squad, which was important, and are working really hard on the training park to get their bodies into the condition that will help them take their game to the next level.”
Gol Gol Mebrahtu has arrived from the Melbourne Heart, Antony Golec from Adelaide and Daniel Mullen from Chinese club, Daelin Aerbin. Questions have been asked about how they will reach match fitness without being allowed to participate in A-League games.
“Each player will be important for us during this period and I know they’ll be ready when called upon.”
This Monday, the FFA announced the branding and trophy for this year’s upcoming FFA Cup – a knockout competition featuring clubs from across multiple tiers of Australian football.
Jerrad believes, “It gives every player a chance to dream.
“No matter what club or league you play in you now have the opportunity to achieve something special and to be involved in games that would never otherwise be possible.”
He also believes that it will help Australian football in reaching its full potential, “it gives players from lower divisions the opportunity to be seen and may help uncover special players that would otherwise have slipped through the cracks of the system.”
The Western Sydney Wanderers will face Korean side Ulsan Hyundai tonight in their Asian Champion’s League debut. Tickets can still be purchased for the game, which kicks off at 7:30.
Follow Jerrad on Twitter: @jerradtyson
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