Melbourne City striker Wade Dekker says experience in the NPL may help him fight his way into the glamour club’s first team.
Dekker has played three games in the A-League during 2015-16, courtesy of the extravagant amount of injuries City suffered through earlier in the season.
City aim to be promoted into the top tier of the NPL next season, currently playing in the NPL2 West and start will the new campaign taking on Bendigo City away on Saturday night.
Dekker said that despite the NPL being a lower standard to A-League, he is relishing the opportunity to run out regularly.
“I just want to play, I love the game and I just want to play,” Dekker explained.
“Any opportunity I get to play, to show what I can do, I’ll take.
“If that’s playing NPL, I’ll take it with both hands and try and do my best to push for a spot in the first team.”
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Dekker also urged the football public not to undervalue the quality and development of the NPL. The 21-year-old believes first team coach John van’t Schip will play him should he perform well.
“The NPL is a great platform not just for City and Victory players but even for other teams playing us, we have coaches always watching.
“John likes playing the younger boys, he doesn’t lack faith or confidence in us at all, so if he thinks we can do the job he’ll put us in.”
The hitman also believes that the A-League squad has gelled as the season has progressed, being a reason as to why he cannot get on the park for the first team.
“We have a lot of experienced players in the squad,” he said.
“All the boys are back from injury and the competition is hard to get in, at the moment I’ve been on the bench for the last five weeks. I’m there, Bruno’s on fire, so it’s very hard to get in.”
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