New Central Coast Mariners manager Phil Moss has made familiar faces his first signings as young defenders Zac Anderson and Trent Sainsbury have agreed to contract extensions. Both players would have been out of contract at the end of this season, according to a club press release. Anderson, 22, is now under contract for one additional year and will come off the books at the end of the 2014/15 season. Sainsbury, 21, has added two more years to his time in Gosford, extending through 2015/16.
Sainsbury is expected to move to Europe before too long but said he wants to do more at Central Coast before leaving Australia:
"I have a burning desire to go overseas. But I don't want to go over there with nothing behind me. I want to arrive at a club and be very well respected for what I have achieved in Australia."
The perception is in extending Sainsbury for two more years, beyond the current season, the Mariners will all but guarantee a financial windfall when the highly regarded defender does depart for a foreign club. With players like Marco Rojas leaving for Europe after completing the terms of their contracts, A-League clubs have certainly left money on the table by failing to arrange contracts in a way that best benefits the club. Of course it's still up to the player and Sainsbury seems to understand the value of playing time and experience over a move as early as possible, just for the sake of it.
Both players are sure to feature for Central Coast in the upcoming Asian Champions League, as well as trying to help Moss lift the Mariners from a slow start in defense of their 2012/13 championship.