When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, the aspirations for 2016 are pretty simple for Brisbane Roar keeper Jamie Young. More of the same but even better!
In 2015, Young has stamped himself as one of the competition’s top shot-stoppers.
He’s played 41 games across all competitions for the Roar including 10 so far this season (every Hyundai A-League game since Round 3) for five wins and three draws.
He has delivered four clean sheets so far this season on top of seven last season.
And the 30-year-old keeper has done all that while completing one university degree and is well on the way to earning his second.
It was a stand out year for Young but he’s not resting on his laurels by any means.
As the Roar prepare to host Perth Glory in Round 13 of the Hyundai A-League at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, 2 January (4.15pm kick off), Young knows there are high expectations on the field, among the Brisbane fans and from himself.
“I always try to give my best and play well for the team,” he says.
“When you are part of especially a winning team that’s really satisfying and important but I am always looking to the future as well to keep performing well.
“I haven’t reinvented the wheel or discovered fire, it’s what my job entails . . . trying to keep the ball out of the net and it is important that I do my best to keep doing that.”
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With fellow Roar keeper Michael Theo completing the final stages of his injury rehab, Young (above) knows the pressure will get even more intense as 2016 unfolds.
But that is part of the Roar’s strong squad this season and he is ready to fight for his spot by working as hard as possible in training and doing his job in matches.
“You have rivalries in every position and certainly in goalkeeping you can only have one person who plays, so of course there is a rivalry and you expect that in elite sport,” Young says.
“I’m just concerned about what I do and that’s all I can affect so I just work on my game.”
The Roar go into the New Year in second place on the table proving what Head Coach John Aloisi has said all along that his players did not want a repeat of last season’s disappointments.
“It is a positive place to be in . . . that shows the coaching staff and the manager have gone about things in the right way and he players have listened and learned and taken what the manager said into the games,” Young says.
And although Perth Glory are at the other end of the table after a slow start, they scored a surprise 1-1 draw with Champions Melbourne Victory last weekend and will come to Brisbane with renewed confidence.
Young says the Roar will not take them lightly.
“We never go into any game thinking it is an easy game. We know it will be a tough test on the weekend for sure,” he says.
“We have to be concerned about how we play. If we do that results will come.”
