After a frustrating few months on the sideline through injury Wellington Phoenix midfielder Dani Sanchez is playing again and loving every minute.
The influential midfielder has added another dimension to the Phoenix play in his three games back and as a bonus has twice found the net.
As the Phoenix prepared for a tough away double header against Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory Sanchez had a smile back on his face after a frustrating spell out of action.
“It is great to be back training and playing with the boys again,” he said.
“Training alone was hard because I love to train with the ball and I missed the banter and competitiveness among the players that I could only watch.
“I worked hard on my rehabilitation, going to the gym on my own to do extra work, but it is all worth it now I am back in the team.”
During his time out injured Sanchez said every single day he thought about playing again and dreamt of scoring goals.
“It was good to score two goals in my first two games back but I wasn-t happy because we lost the first game in Adelaide and only got a draw against the Mariners,” he said.
“I want to score tomorrow against Brisbane and help us get three points.”
Sanchez return has coincided with the emergence of teenagers Louis Fenton and Tyler Boyd.
“The young players are on fire,” he says.
“They bring a lot of energy to the team and make life difficult for the opposition-s fullbacks.
“I enjoy playing with them and I think they enjoy playing with me.”
Sanchez- good feet and vision will be an important ingredient for the Phoenix if they are to get a result against the defending champions who appear to be regaining the form that has seen them win the last two A-League titles.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert will go with an unchanged starting team, but has yet to decide the make-up of his bench with midfielder Cameron Lindsay having been added to the trio of Alex Smith, Benji Totori and Stein Huysegems who were on it last week.
Wellington Phoenix: Mark Paston, Leo Bertos, Ben Sigmund, Andrew Durante (captain), Tony Lochhead, Manny Muscat, Vince Lia, Dani Sanchez, Tyler Boyd, Louis Fenton and Jeremy Brockie.
Substitutes: (from): Stein Huysegems, Alex Smith, Benji Totori, Cameron Lindsay and Griffin McMaster.
