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Look no further than South Wagga coach Prince Thompson, who has full faith in his squad, great ambitions for 2017 and an undying passion for the world game.
“Soccer is the only thing I know,” he said.
“It’s like food to me.
“I love everything about it, most importantly new friends, people of different traditions, different cultures coming together and having fun.”
South Wagga won the Pascoe Plate last season, in the playoff between fifth and eighth-placed teams.
Thompson, a handy addition to any local squad, didn’t consider a move.
“I’ve played around a few clubs and, when I came to South Wagga, it felt like home, the way we treat people, how we talk with encouragement,” he said.
“It told me, this is a club I want to stick to.”
He inherited the full squad, and two recruits from Sydney and Orange.
“I’m so happy to have them all back,” he said.
“I’m very impressed with the way they’ve turned up to training, it’s different from last year, they’re showing their commitment.”
Thompson isn’t settling for second best this season.
“We just want to have a pretty good game, we also we want to be up there on top of the ladder, and we want to keep it that way,” he said.
“Our dream is to achieve what we couldn’t achieve last season, we want to be the champions, that’s why all the boys are fit and training towards that.”
His appointment to the coaching role has been a win-win for Thompson and his team.
“You can see the excitement in their faces to have me as their coach,” he said.
“It’s like a dream come true, from player to coach.”
