ALMOST to the end he was the forgotten man of Sydney FC’s season, but out of the blue Riley Woodcock has become a key part of the Sky Blues quest for Asian Champions League glory.

In the week he turns 21, the former captain of the Young Socceroos will face Shandong Luneng in the second leg of the Round of 16 tie at Allianz Stadium, still slightly bemused by the way he has been thrust into the side at left back.

Sidelined for nearly a year by a broken ankle on the eve of the A-League season, Woodcock mustered only 72 minutes of domestic action, and even that came in the last game of the season. But injuries and player exits forced Graham Arnold to throw Woodcock in against the champions of Asia, Guangzhou Evergrande, three weeks ago, and again in the first-leg 1-1 draw with Shandong last week.

Sydney FC’s Riley Woodcock shields the ball from Guangzhou Evergrande’s Huang Bowen during their Asian Champions League clash earlier this month. Source: Getty Images

Overcoming a torrid opening Woodcock set up Sydney’s goal against Shandong, and is now desperate to make up for lost time after his first year at the club was almost ruined by the injury.

“To have 10 months on the sidelines was pretty tough, especially as I’d just moved to Sydney when it happened,” Woodcock said of the ankle fracture he suffered in a pre-season friendly. “I’d got a few games in pre-season, and it was looking to be a big year for me - so to get a long-term injury like was unbelievably frustrating.

“It’s made it a tough year, but after the way things have gone, for Graham Arnold to show faith in me and use me in the ACL has done wonders for my confidence. To get a draw last week in Shandong was a great result, and to be involved in our goal was a great thing for making me feel like I was contributing to the team.

“It feels a bit like getting a chance in these big games is reward for the hard work that’s gone on since I injured my ankle.”

It undoubtedly is a “big game” for Sydney, with victory sending them into the last eight of the ACL - even a goalless draw would suffice, after David Carney’s away goal in the first leg. But Woodcock refuses to be cowed by the occasion, even with the knowledge that he is playing for a renewed contract.

“The boys and the coaching staff here just seem to give you the confidence that you deserve to be part of it, and make you feel like you can have a big effect on the game,” he said. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t go into the game confident and excited by the occasion and by the prospect of beating Shandong.

“They’re a big club, of course, but the fact we are in this position too shows that we are too, and we deserve to be here, with this fantastic opportunity in front of us. It’s all going on at the moment, we’re talking about my contract and next year, but that’s just another big thing to play for.”