Antony Golec. Picture: A-League.
Antony Golec is no stranger to making history in Australian football, as he was a part of the Western Sydney Wanderers side which won the Asian Champions League.
Now, he’s doing it all again, as an inaugural player with new A-League club Macarthur FC.
Speaking with The Inner Sanctum, Golec said he’s thriving being back in Australia.
“I’m really enjoying it here, when I had the opportunity to speak with Ante and Ivan about the club and what they wanted to achieve, I was quite excited,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of a new club and create history, so it’s really good to be here.
“The boys welcomed me here when I came through, I haven’t looked back since.
“The coaching staff are always pushing us to become better.
“It’s good for me to come home from overseas with COVID-19 and everything, it was kind of an easy decision to come back.”
It’s been seven years since the Wanderers’ historic victory, and Golec said it helped him grow significantly as a footballer.
“It was phenomenal, it is a once in a lifetime thing as it has happened again since,” he said.
“That was fantastic, all us boys that were there will never forget that.
“It wasn’t easy, but a lot of sacrifice, hard work and a bit of luck, but we created our own luck through our hard work.
“To this day I kind of pinch myself to think we actually achieved the impossible, it’s a good thing as well because I guess it shows you can achieve something as great as that.
“It made me a lot more resilient in terms of what we went through, as a footballer in Australia you never experience those hostile environments going to some of those countries.
“It definitely prepared me mentally to be stronger, but also creating that success made me more hungry as a footballer, wanting to win more.
“It played an important role going forward in my career, I want to keep winning.
Macarthur is the 13th club of Golec’s career, which has also included A-League clubs Sydney FC, Adelaide United, the Wanderers, Perth Glory, Central Coast and Wellington.
He’s also travelled the world through his career and said it’s a ‘privilege’.
“I love it to be honest, I get to travel the world and see different places and experience different cultures and environments,” he said.
“I love travelling around and learning new things, it’s a privilege with what I do being able to travel the world, I definitely don’t take it for granted.
“At the end of the day, it’s not a career I can do for 40-50 years, a footballer’s career isn’t a long one, I guess for me it’s trying to make the most of it and try and enjoy the journey as long and as much as I can.”
Macarthur’s introduction into the A-League has been unique due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Golec said it’s been remarkable it’s all come together.
“Everyone knows what COVID has been like, how it’s affected everyone and their lives,” he said.
“The fact the club got to pull through, and the staff, owners and investors, I think for everyone it’s an exciting year, there’s a new A-League club and more so for the people who invested a lot of time and energy into this.
“We’re hoping especially for Macarthur for the club and fans we can create something special.
“As a footballer, you ask anyone who they’re playing for, they want to win and win titles.
“From a team perspective, for us, it’s something internal we’ve kept, but I’m quite confident and confidently can say we want to be at the top end of the table.
“We know where we want to be and as long as we stick to what Ante and the staff are teaching us and as long as that belief is there, anything is possible.”
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