King Carlos missing Popondetta Park

Mt Druitt Town Rangers’ well admired number one custodian and club captain Carlos Saliadarre is quite simply over it.

No football thanks to COVID-19 has really tested one of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s keeper’s patience with the 31-year-old hoping to play some kind of football this season.

“What can I say, I really miss my football.

“I miss the change room, I miss the banter, the laughs – there’s just nothing quite like it, especially when you have Pav in your team.

“I miss the competition, from the training games to game day. All of it.

“I miss pushing myself. I miss the thrill of an action packed game. The highs the lows. The smell of freshly cut grass.

“There’s nothing quite like the freedom of game day that for ninety minutes nothing else in the world matters, just the game.”

Now do you believe me?

Now can you see how much ‘King Carlos’ feels without having his football fix around.

Be very careful when throwing the word COVID-19 around to Saliadarre – the unfortunate pandemic threw the keeper and the rest of the world for that matter out of routine in more ways than one.

“COVID-19 has been tough to deal with, its honestly taken me out of my routine that I’ve worked on for so many years that consisted of work, school pick up the kids, gym, then home and off to training.

“So of course it took a while getting used to it but I didn’t like it.

“I’ve played every year of my life since I was three so you can imagine how much I’ve struggled in regards to missing the game.

“I’m missing the boys and especially the competition of game day and training. I love that.

“I love training hard and competing, so it’s definitely been tough.”

His body is his temple to anyone that knows Saliadarre really well, the three plus months of non-competitive football hasn’t slowed the shot-stopper down who was fortunate enough to have put together a gym in keeping him in check – with his physique at least.

“During the full self-isolation period, no gyms were open and obviously training was cancelled so that was tough to initially deal with.

“I was lucky enough to have put together a little gym set-up at home with my brother in law though.

“We’ve made it a daily ritual of using it every day after work in the afternoon.

“I can’t say I’ve touched a football in months though or my boots and gloves, a part that I haven’t really enjoyed but with restrictions easing and training’s allowed, they’ll be getting a work-out very very soon.”

It wasn’t the best of starts for Saliadarre and co in the NPL NSW Men’s top tier competition as after two rounds the club suffered two defeats.

Redemption is something the club will be looking for should any form of football take shape this season with the Rangers hoping to better their performances should they get given another opportunity in 2020.

For Carlos’ sake and sanity, we hope they do as this footballer is really missing the world game.