Shannon Cole is a laid back character but things are moving very quickly these days for the man from Sydney’s inner west.
Shannon Cole is a laid back character but things are moving very quickly these days for the man from Sydney-s inner west.
The 24-year-old is only two games into his Hyundai A-League career, but is already the name on everyone-s lips after a stunning debut against the Melbourne Victory in round one, and a match-winning masterpiece of a free kick in Saturday-s clash with the Central Coast.
Lining up the target from outside the box, the set piece specialist curled the ball over the wall and passed fully-stretched Mariners- keeper, Danny Vukovic to register his first goal in the A-League, and deliver Sydney FC a share of the early competition lead.
“I don’t remember a lot about it,” Cole reflected. “I paused for a second, because I wasn’t sure it had gone in. Once I realized it did, the adrenalin kicked in a bit.”
That burst of adrenalin sent Cole flipping through the air as he pulled off an equally impressive post-goal celebration.
“We had a bit of a laugh earlier in the day talking about goal celebrations and watching the Olympics, so there was a bit of inspiration from Beijing there.”
Officially signing on only days before the season kicked off, Sydney FC’s long list of unavailable stars opened the door for the former State League player, and the crafty midfielder has made the most of his early opportunity.
“I’m loving it,” Cole said. “I’m happy to be out there and be a part of the team.”
With little big-game experience, Cole admits that playing for the A-League heavyweights has not been as easy as he-s sometimes made it look.
“I had a lot less nerves going into this match,” he admitted. “My mental focus for the two games was a lot different. There were a lot of nerves that I wasn’t aware of until I had this week to compare to.”
After his match-winning turn against the Mariners, Cole is expected to get another chance to shine this Sunday when Sydney FC plays host to the Perth Glory, despite the likely return of several Sydney stars.
“I’m definitely looking forward to next week and looking forward to a hard week at training,” Cole said. “If I can play some part (against Perth) I will be stoked.”
