Joel King reckons he has the best seat in the house.
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As star midfielder Milos Ninkovic moves the ball swiftly past another fooled opponent, King is more than happy to watch from the field at left back for Sydney FC.
The sky blues are flying this season, on top of the ladder after 10 rounds, and the 19-year-old Shellharbour product has been a surprise mainstay in defence.
2019 has felt surreal but King says being surrounded by so many stars - like Ninkovic - has made his transition into the side a lot easier.
"I've got Wilko [Alex Wilkinson] to my right, Ninkovic in front of me, [Luke] Brattan and [Paul] Ratre in the middle. It doesn't get much easier as a young boy to play around them," he said. "Sometimes I play a dodgy ball through to 'Ninko' and he deals with it, turns a player. And you just have to stand there and laugh. It's good to watch."
I've got Wilko [Alex Wilkinson] to my right, Ninkovic in front of me, [Luke] Brattan and [Paul] Ratre in the middle. It doesn't get much easier as a young boy to play around them.
- Joel King
King made his A-League debut late last season against Newcastle. He has seized to chance to move into the side on a permanent basis, playing seven games (including four starts) in 2019/20.
King assured his future with the sky blues a fortnight ago by re-signing for two more seasons. He will have plenty more game time alongside Ninkovic who, despite speculation he would join newbies Macarthur Bulls, put pen to paper on a new multi-year deal with Sydney FC on Tuesday.
As he gains confidence, King has set himself a goal of being defender Michael Zullo's understudy for the rest of the season. Zullo also re-signed on Wednesday.
"I'm very happy, I've enjoyed my time at the club so far. To sign another contract for the next couple of years is what I wanted," the teen said.
"At the moment, it's about getting more game time. I want to be the second left back so when 'Zullsy's' out, I can be the next player in there. If I can do that and hold my spot, I'll be happy.
"It's funny how much you learn in a game in the A-League compared to training. I'm learning a lot and getting a bit more used to it as I play more often. Everything's a lot quicker. You've got to be quicker on the ball and thinking ahead defensively as well. You can't switch off for one moment. If you do, you'll probably get punished.
"So far I've marked [Brad] Inman from Brisbane, [Dylan] Wenzel-Halls [Roar striker], Danny De Silva [Mariners], Tommy Oar [Mariners], so some good players. I haven't marked any real big players yet but hopefully I'll get that opportunity soon."
The Shellharbour junior recently returned to the Illawarra for a visit as part of Sydney FC's Skills Training Program, with sessions held in Wollongong and Albion Park.
King is likely to head back to the region again in early 2020 for Sydney FC's Wollongong Summer Holiday Clinic and local STP.
The summer holiday clinic will be held at Oval One, University of Wollongong, from January 22 to 24.
Two STPs will be held in Illawarra and run for 10 weeks. The Wollongong program will also be held at Oval One while the Albion Park STP will be held at Terry Reserve, both from February 3 to April 6.
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