Veteran Mariners defender Patrick Zwaanswijk is loving life on the Central Coast and adamant his new club can challenge for the A-League title.
Zwaanswijk, 35, has wasted no time showing his class for the Mariners. In only five matches he has formed a potent central defensive pairing with Central Coast skipper Alex Wilkinson.
Mariners coach Graham Arnold believes they have quickly become the best central defenders in the competition.
The pair will team up again on Friday night when the Mariners tackle Melbourne Heart at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.
The statistics are impressive. In their five matches this season the Mariners have conceded only four goals with Wilkinson and Zwaanswijk key factors in that success.
Wilkinson has been consistent and reliable with Zwaanswijk, who has more than 10 years experience playing in the Dutch Eredivise, has shown great composure under pressure.
"I'm really enjoying it," Zwaanswijk said.
"Alex is a very good captain and is very consistent and I'm happy with my form. We're playing well together which is good for the team."
Wilkinson has been a feature in the Mariners since the A-League kicked off. He said he is relishing the chance to play alongside a player with such vast experience.
"He's a fantastic player, he's shown all his experience in our games so far this year," Wilkinson said.
"We've done a lot of work on our defensive structure and he's a big part of that. He's got so much experience from top leagues and is trying to pass on as much as he can to the rest of us."