Newcastle Jets hero Marko Jesic says he's just grateful to coach Gary van Egmond for giving him his A-League chance. Jesic, 19, scored a spectacular winner on debut in the Jets' surprise 1-0 victory over table leaders Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.
"I've been at Newcastle for five months and I've known Dutchy [van Egmond] for a couple of years," Jesic told the Newcastle Herald.
"He used to come and watch the games when [Jets assistant coach] Mark Jones was in charge of the NSW Institute of Sport.
"He has a lot of faith in the young boys. He doesn't care what age you are or anything like that if you can play football at a high level, he'd play you no matter what.
"He likes giving a lot of information to the young boys, so when it comes to game time they know what to expect."
Van Egmond shrugged: "At the end of the day, coaches are just a facilitator of learning, and it's up to the individuals to learn.
"Obviously, the information you give the players is important, but it's up to each and every one of the individuals how they receive that."