How A-League champion Nick Montgomery began his coaching journey at Wollongong Wolves

The Sheffield United legend came to Australia in 2012 as a player for the Mariners, where he would win a the side's first ever championship under now-Socceroos coach Graham Arnold in 2013.

Fast forward 10 years and Montgomery has done it again for the city of Gosford, this time as a coach in a simply staggering 6-1 win against premiers Melbourne City on Saturday night in the grand final in Parramatta.

Following his professional playing days, Montgomery was brought down by former Wolves coach and Mercury columnist Timpano to play for the club in 2017.

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But it was clear then that Montgomery was looking to delve into the world of coaching.

"He came to us at the end of his professional career and that was his initial stages of working towards getting into management," his former coach Timpano said.

"With his temperament, his leadership, you could tell that was his goal of going into coaching and with us, he didn't just come as a player.

"He did come on as a bit of an assistant to myself as well and help out from a coaching perspective."

It was all the little details that make Montgomery a brilliant coach according to Timpano.

From things down to employing a mindset and leadership coach in Ezio Mormile - who in fact has worked with the Wolves in the past and is where Montgomery met him, to building trust in younger players.

"I bought Ezio down to do work with the Wolves and that's where 'Monty' met him and he has brought him to the Mariners and he has been very successful," Timpano added.

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"'Monty' obviously came through the Mariners Academy before he took on the head coaching role so he knows all those young kids that he plays.

"But what he has done extremely well is having experienced guys like captain Danny Vukovic, Socceroo Jason Cummings and international players like Storm Roux and James McGarry.

"So I think, although it is a young squad, he's mixed it up perfectly with some experienced players and he has done well with the recruitment with the visa players as well. He's nailed them, so that's a credit to him."

Cummings said post-game Montgomery was the best coach he has played under.

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