Newly appointed Newcastle Jets captain Kew Jaliens says he is excited to lead the Club for the first time in their FFA Cup Round of 32 clash with Perth Glory at Magic Park on tonight
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Jaliens said it was an honour to be named Jets captain and he hoped get off to a winning start in his new role against the Glory.
“It’s a good test for us to see where we stand against another A-League team and I’m excited to play this game,” Jaliens said.
“It’s quite a responsibility to be captain of a team, but I think I’m up for it.
“I’ve done it before so I know what is expected of me, so it’s an honour to captain this team.”
Jaliens is expected to partner new signing Adrian Madaschi in the centre of defence against Perth, and he said he’d already formed a good working relationship with the former Socceroo.
“Most of the time in training we’ve played together as well as in the trial games and up until now we’ve had a good relationship,” Jaliens said.
“We’ve spoken about things to do and what not to do, so I’m looking forward to joining him the team against Perth.”
Jaliens said a good run in the newly formed FFA Cup knockout competition by the Jets could be the catalyst for a productive Hyundai A-League season.
“I want to get this winning mentality in the team, because for me it’s important for the Club to have that going forward,” Jaliens said.
“I think we’ve got a good mix and we’ve got two players fighting for almost every position, so the competition for places will be on this year and I think that’s a very good thing for this squad.
“This season we’ve got more senior players and more of a balance between the senior players and younger ones and I think we have a very strong squad this season.”
