Michael Bridges (L) will spearhead the Jets attack against Melbourne Heart. Picture: Waide Maguire Source: The Daily Telegraph
MICHAEL Bridges thought his papers were marked.
Having not started in an A-League game for 12 months and being told his services won't be required next season, who could blame him.
But with Newcastle's season potentially on the line against Melbourne Heart at Hunter Stadium tonight, the veteran English striker is the player Jets coach Gary van Egmond has turned to in his side's hour of need.
And while it's all about the team for Bridges, he admits the opportunity to send a message to the coach about his own worth to the club will also be uppermost in his mind.
In a match-up Jets fans have been crying out to see all season, Bridges, 34, will spearhead an attacking strikeforce up front alongside or just in behind Emile Heskey. Van Egmond has also promoted Socceroos striker Adam Taggart in a further bid to bolster his side's lacklustre attack.
After making just occasional cameos off the bench this season and being told he won't be offered another contract, Bridges admitted yesterday he wasn't sure his opportunity in the starting side would ever come again.
"It's tough and it was a hard pill to swallow, but at the end of the day it's a team environment," he said.
"I'm not bigger than this football club and the boys know that and if you're not in the team, you work damn hard to get back in.
"Gary's the manager and he picks the team and you've got to stick by that and hopefully your chance will come. If you toss it in, you won't get that chance."
Bridges is relishing the chance to play alongside Heskey again, 17 years after they were teammates in the England under-17 side.
"It's great that we're getting the chance to have a gig together again," he said.
The Jets are a point outside the top six and defeat would put the club under enormous pressure to make the play-offs.
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