Sasa Ognenovski: "The decision was pretty easy." Credit:Getty Images Ognenovski said he was confident the club had the right plan over the next year to challenge for silverware – even saying they were still a chance this year of sneaking into the top six and ruffling some feathers. “The decision was pretty easy – mostly because the club was moving in the right direction,” he said. “We’ve spoken about next year and beyond that and I’m happy to be involved in their plans, which are for bigger and better things next season. Obviously we’ve still got this season to run and we’re hoping to get into the finals and upset a few teams.” Having only become a consistent full-time professional at 27, when his career in the A-League began with Brisbane Roar, Ognenovski believes he has a fresher body compared with most players his age. “If my body feels the way it does now, I do have a couple of years left at a good level,” he said. “Only when I see in myself that I can’t back up in training sessions and in games will I start to think about moving on – and I’m not a guy who will hang around for the sake of it. But that time is still a long way off because the body remains injury-free and I feel pretty fresh each day.”

Having played in Korea and Qatar during his spell abroad – proving a dominating force in both leagues – the “Ogmonster” has hardly missed a beat since returning to the A-League. “I think the advantage I’ve got over some of the other Australian players who come to play in the A-League is that I’ve already played in this league before,” he said. “There’s no surprises in terms of fitness or preparation for me, so I knew how fit I’d have to be and that’s definitely helped the transition. My family is happy as well – I’ve got an eight-, six- and five-year-old – and they’ve also settled in well, which has made it easier all round.” One of Ognenovski's motivations for coming back to Australia was to breathe life back into his hopes of representing the Socceroos at this year’s World Cup. Ognenovski was a vital part of the squad that helped the Socceroos qualify for Brazil but has so far found himself out of the frame under new coach Ange Postecogolou. “All I can do is play to the best of my ability and help Sydney qualify for the finals and take it from there,” he said. “I can’t force anyone’s hand – all I can do is be fit, healthy, available and playing well. From there, it’s up to Ange and his coaching staff who will be in the final squad.”

Sydney coach Frank Farina said Ognenovski had proved his worth already and could still play at the top level for a while yet. “Sasa has provided extra strength and discipline in our defensive line and has thoroughly deserved this new deal,” Farina said. “He is an asset to the club and is an integral part of a strong backbone that every team needs. I believe he still has plenty of good football left in him and his experience in the games ahead and next year will be invaluable."