After years of setbacks, Melbourne City’s Curtis Good finally getting a run
After injury cruelled his World Cup dream, Curtis Good spent years in the wilderness before City turned his fortunes around.
Weeks out from the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, with Curtis Good virtually standing on one leg, the then Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou gave him every chance of making the final squad with a view to including him in the starting side.
Four years on, Curtis Good struggled to get A-League trials let alone a $60,000 minimum wage contract.
Good had been knocking on the door of a Premier League debut — sitting on the bench in Newcastle United’s loss to Manchester City in 2013 and making League Cup and FA Cup appearances. But a meagre 18 senior games in six years saw clubs lose confidence in the defender and questioned his durability.
But Good has turned his career around since joining Melbourne City last year.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold recently revealed that the left-footer was back on his radar — with Good finally dreaming of adding to his solitary international cap, an impressive 68-minute display against Ecuador in March 2014, when his injury woes began.
“I’d love to get picked. It’s not even a full cap is it? 60 minutes,” Good said.
“It was (an experience) — positive and negative. That feeling of being in the camp and lining up (for the Socceroos) before kick-off’s special. Something you chase. It’s great (to be watched). Makes you appreciate the hard work you put in to get back.”
Good recalled how Postecoglou and the medical staff’s plan to try to get his hip flexor right for the World Cup opener against Chile.
“I was carrying it, they were aware. But after conversations (with Socceroos staff) I felt I was a chance. Wasn’t get in there day one and hit the ground running, there was a plan. But it just got to the stage where I couldn’t run, couldn’t lift my legs,” he said.
Fast forward to 2018, and Good was merely trying to convince coaches of a trial — home and abroad, as Adelaide United and Blackpool erred.
“I wasn’t in a great situation to be honest, no clubs wanted to punt on me,” Good said. “I went to Blackpool for trial, pulled my hamstring in the first 15 minutes of a friendly. That was a slap in the face. Then coach (Gary Bowyer) left. I thought City would be great because that (he played for Heart in 2011-12) was one of my best seasons. Grateful they signed me.”
Fifteen full games and counting this season for Good, 26, another Aussie late bloomer.
City take on local rivals Western United on Friday night with the club under pressure after back-to-back defeats to Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.
A clash between second and fourth on the table shapes as a tantalising contest as both sides eye derby bragging rights.
HERALD SUN, AAP
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