A COLD and wet Friday morning in Gosford might be a world away from the bright lights of Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, but Mark Bosnich seems happier than he's ever been.
He's got every reason to smile, too. After five years in the wilderness, Bosnich will make his return to competitive football with the Central Coast Mariners in tomorrow's pre-season cup match against Sydney FC at Bluetongue Stadium.
But not only will Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna start the 36-year-old, he wants him to play the whole 90 minutes to gauge whether or not he's got what it takes to return to professional football.
Walking into a media conference yesterday morning, Bosnich's customary charm and charisma was on show for all to see. He shook every hand of the press gallery; his excitement beaming from a grin which hasn't seen the light of day for some time.
Bosnich was peppered with serious questions, and he gave what began as serious answers before his personality took over. By the end of the 20-minute session, he was finishing McKinna's sentences, cracking jokes, pulling faces and gesticulating with an infectious enthusiasm. McKinna himself was almost as spritely and the two appear to have forged an instant rapport.
Clearly happy to be back in the fold, Bosnich acknowledged the uncertainty over what might happen was giving him a real buzz.
"I can feel the nerves coming up for the first time in a long time and that's a good thing," Bosnich said. "I was fortunate when I was at QPR to play a game but that was not at the level this will be at, and I'm just thankful for this chance. There's always doubts, though, even when you're at the top of your game there will be butterflies.
"But I'm under no illusions - if I don't perform, I won't be in the team. Past reputations mean nothing. The fantastic thing for me is that I've got an opportunity to erase a lot of what has happened in the past five years and I'm very thankful for that opportunity. So let's rock and roll."
In just a week, Bosnich appears part of the Mariners furniture. He's already inseparable from Dean Heffernan, and seemingly best mates with everyone else. It's clear he's missed the team spirit of the dressing room, but respects the hard work that the club has put in to creating that atmosphere.
"I think it's one of the reasons they've been so successful. It's a fantastic team spirit, the type of spirit I've recognised in other great sides and it's something that needs fostering," Bosnich said. "I don't want to do anything to upset that, I just want to be part of it. Now I feel part of it, too … there are other teams where it's not like this, though, and it's damaging."
McKinna certainly seems happy enough with how "Bozza" has settled in and he's eager to see how his recruit will fare in the heat of a local derby.
"He's fitted in well with the boys and they don't go out of their way to look after him because he's Mark Bosnich, they go out of their way to make him feel part of it because of the way he's come across," McKinna said.
"We didn't want to put him up for selection if he didn't feel up to the job, but I met him for coffee yesterday and he was fairly keen to be on the bench or to start.
"There's nothing like playing in a real game under real conditions where players are trying to score goals against you and beat you, so it's a good opportunity."
