On most days, Jordan Murray would have put in a near 12-hour shift before he'd even put on the boots.
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A nine hour stint on the tools as an apprentice electrician was often followed by a 90-minute commute up to Sydney for training with APIA Leichhardt.
For Murray, that was all part of life as a semi-professional footballer.
But the 24-year-old wanted more.
"You have to sacrifice a lot things, but that made me stronger mentally. It drove me more,” the Woonona product said.
“There was a time when I was driving three hours a day and you wonder, why do I bother?
"I stuck my head down and got on with the job.”
When Murray stuck his head down, others put theirs up and noticed.
The Russell Vale junior enjoyed a stellar 2018 season with APIA in the NPL, which caught the attention of the Central Coast Mariners.
An A-League deal soon followed.
“It’s obviously a dream come true,” Murray said.
"I had doubts if it would ever happen and I think every footballer does.
"It is a normal thing to have. It is just a matter of if you want to go further. It is the people that need to sacrifice things to get where they want to go.
"There is doubt there but you just need to tell yourself you are good enough. I was lucky to have a strong mentality doing that.
“I went to APIA after having a good year with the Wollongong Wolves and I was lucky enough to be selected now to play in the A-League.”
Murray never needed to look far for help on his journey to the A-League.
His boss throughout his apprenticeship was former Wollongong Wolves midfielder Steve Hayes, who enjoyed an impressive career in the NSW National Premier League as well.
“You listen to people like that,” Murray said.
"He never told me I was great. He always told me things I needed to work on.
"I have an enormous respect for that because that's what I think you need.
“You need to have a strong mentality.
"People who tell you you are doing good all the time is good to hear but you know it's just not true if you have a bad game."
Murray comes into the A-League on the back of one of the most dominant attacking seasons in recent NSW National Premier League history.
The former Bulli marksman scored 23 goals in 19 games to lead APIA to within a whisker of the League title.
He is determined to carry that form into his first season at the Mariners.
"My goal is to score goals. It's my job and that's what I am here for," Murray said.
"But I want to learn every day from guys like Matt Simon, Ross McCormack, Tommy Oar, Michael McGlinchey. With those older players, but you have the younger players as well who are just keen to drive you.
"It is a large squad with a lot of positions to fight for, but I want to learn and get better every day."
Murray was named in an extended squad for the Mariners’ round one clash with Brisbane Roar while Port Kembla product Gameiro remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
