Gold Coast Knights’ Luke Marsh keen to make NPL mark after all but giving up on football career

LITTLE more than 12 months ago, Gold Coast Knights forward Luke Marsh thought his football career was over. Now, he is determined to make his mark with the NPL high flyers.

LITTLE more than 12 months ago, Gold Coast Knights forward Luke Marsh thought his football career was over.

After five draining seasons in the Brisbane Strikers’ NPL set up – including time with the senior side that claimed back-to-back premierships in 2016-17 – the 21-year-old returned to the Coast without a plan.

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But when preparations for the 2018 season kicked off, so too did Marsh’s desire to return.

“I was pretty much done with football because I wasn’t enjoying it. I was only playing 10 minutes (at the Strikers) so I moved on,” Marsh, who went on to score 15 goals in Broadbeach’s run to the Premier League final, said.

Gold Coast Knights forward Luke Marsh.

“I was thinking of having a break and then in pre-season I started missing it so I just contacted Verno (Broadbeach coach Lee Vernon) and said ‘I just want to play and have a bit of fun’.”

Having rediscovered his love of football, Marsh is now determined to make his mark with the Knights.

While he has been largely restricted to cameos off the bench in the NPL club’s charge to second spot, the former Musgrave and Runaway Bay junior is content to bide his time.

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“I’m happy to put in the hard yards. If things go my way and I put in the hard yards I will get a chance,” he said.

“It’s a good bunch of lads, quality players. Although we haven’t had the toughest teams to play it’s been very good (to start the season).

“(The NPL) is different, very different. I’ve been quite lucky because I was playing up at Strikers before coming back to Broadbeach so I was used to (training) three nights a week and the better quality.

Marsh in action for Broadbeach in last year’s Gold Coast Premier League grand final. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I haven’t really had that much (game) time – I haven’t really been quite fit enough for the systems – but when I do come on I’m happy (with how I’m playing).”

The Knights will ride a three-game winning streak, including an 8-0 annihilation of Redlands last week, into tomorrow’s Round 5 fixture against struggling Sunshine Coast.

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Kick off is at 6.30pm at Carrara’s Croatian Sports Centre.

Coming off back-to-back wins, eighth-placed Gold Coast United play away to the Strikers at 6pm.

In the NPL Women’s, United will look to extend their perfect start to three games when they tackle Sunshine Coast at Buderim at noon on Sunday.