HE is already the longest serving player in the history of A-League club Sydney FC but Rhyan Grant is not planning on a move anytime soon.
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Late last week the man who played his junior soccer at Bathurst’s Proctor Park signed a new three-year contract with Sydney FC, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2021-22 A-League season.
While Grant broke through to earn his first Socceroos caps earlier season and played in the AFC Asian Cup – a tournament which gained him international attention – the talented defender said he never really considered playing for another club.
“It would have been interesting if anything concrete came up,” Grant said.
“But I was never actively looking overseas. Sydney were there all along and were really good about it. It's good to get it out of the way now and get on with the rest of the season.
“Being here for such a long time, I do feel really at home and very much a part of it which is a massive thing going forward for myself.”
After playing his junior football in Bathurst and getting a taste at the higher representative level with the Bathurst ’75-Western youth league outfit, Grant took what was to be a career-defining step in 2008.
That was when the right back joined the club as a 17-year old as part of their Youth League outfit. Three months later Grant made his senior debut.
Ten years on and Grant has become a mainstay of Sydney FC’s starting line-up. He won premierships with them as well as the 2016-17 grand final against Melbourne Victory, scoring the goal that forced extra-time.
That is one of nine goals he has scored for the club.
On Friday night when Sydney FC went down to Brisbane Roar, it marked his 180th appearance.
“It feels very good to have another three years in the bag,” the 27-year old told sydneyfc.com.
“I’ve been here for 10 years so the club definitely feels like home to me and I’m very comfortable here.
“You want to be part of the best club and most ambitious club going forward, so that was my main motivation for staying.
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“We’ve been very successful over the last couple of years, so I want to build on that and to win all competitions that we are a part of.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with a lot of members who I’ve known for years, especially ‘The Cove’, and they’ve definitely had a big impact on making my decision to stay a lot easier.”
Though Grant is the longest serving member of Sydney FC, being twice sidelined with knee injuries mean he does not yet hold the record for most appearances. Alex Brosque and Terry McFlynn rank above him.
