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OLYMPIC DREAMS
AND LEADERSHIP TEAMS. KYE ROWLES LDDKS AHEAD TD 2021
C
entral Coast Mariners defender Kye Rowles is eager to make the most of next year, with the 22-year-old eyeing off the Tokyo Olympics whilst taking on a leadership role with the Mariners.
Despite only being in his early twenties Rowles' three years on the Central Coast has seen the young defender grow and mature rapidly. A natural leader on the field and in training, Kye has now been given the opportunity to showcase his abilities as part of the Mariners' leadership group for 2020/21. "To be in the leadership group and selected by your peers is an honour and a privilege", said Rowles. "It means a lot to be regarded as a leader in your team, and I feel like a leader now. "Being one this young is weird, but it's a role I'm excited to grow into and I'm looking forward to it." Rowles said that he has learnt a lot over the years from the senior players in the squad and having them alongside him has been instrumental in his development. "It's the same with all the senior boys here, you always try and absorb as much as you can off them. If they've got a tip you're always listening and implementing it. "They've been playing football for years, so you've got to listen to what they have to say because they have a wealth of knowledge and experience and they'll always help you improve your own game." Growing as a footballer is something fans and observers of the A-League have seen Rowles do, and the next step in his development is chasing the opportunity to play at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
"WDRK AS HARD AS YDU CAN, PLAY AS GDDD AS YDU CAN, AND YDU MIGHT JUST BE IN WITH A SHDT" "It's a massive dream for everyone who's involved in football", Rowles said. "Work as hard as you can, play as good as you can, and you might just be in with a shot. "Arnie and his staff are always checking in on our fitness and it feels good knowing we're on their radar. Knowing you're always being watched means you've got to be giving 110 per cent in training and in matches and pushing that much harder. "The next step is going over there and that would be incredible." An amazing experience, no doubt, but one of the most exciting parts of football in 2021 for Rowles is welcoming fans back to Central Coast Stadium now that COVID restrictions have eased in NSW. "It's always an honour and so much fun to play in front of the fans at Gosford", said Rowles. "It's such a beautiful stadium and when the fans are behind us it feels like we have an extra gear to give. They give you so much confidence and it's always a treat playing in front of them". "We just want to try and play as good as we can and get the best results possible for us and for the fans. "Obviously, things haven't been great in recent years, but we're just trying to build off the last few results that we had at the back end of last year. "Consistency will be the key for us this season. If we can just stay consistently competitive with the top teams that will go a long way."
By Cameron Smith
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