Central Coast alumni making their mark with Socceroos Mile Jedinak. The Central Coast Mariners might be struggling in the A-League, but the NSW club have earned a richly deserved reputation as a production line for emerging talent. And that looks likely to be hammered home once again on Tuesday night when no less than four players who began their careers in Gosford could pull on the Socceroos shirt and be in Ange Postecoglou's line-up for the important friendly against Japan in Osaka. It will be the national team's most serious hitout before they begin their Asian Cup campaign on home soil. Captain Mile Jedinak, who got his A-League break at the Mariners, and goalkeeper Mat Ryan are obvious selections. And there is a big chance that Trent Sainsbury and Alex Wilkinson will be given another chance to develop their central defensive pairing against one of Asia's traditional powerhouses. It would not be the first time the quartet have all been involved together in national colours, but with the challenge the Socceroos are facing in trying to win the Asian Cup in front of their own fans, continuity, especially at the back, is important. The quartet are, of course, no longer with the Mariners: Jedinak left years ago and now captains Crystal Palace in the English premier League, while Ryan is with Brugge in Belgium, Wilkinson with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in South Korea, and Sainsbury plays in the Eredivisie in Holland with PEC Zwolle. Sainsbury, 22 is the most recent to break into the national team and is looking to the game against Japan to consolidate his position for the Asian Cup. He fractured a patella last season playing for Zwolle and any chance he had of going to the World Cup was shattered. But he is now fit and ready to prove himself. Ange is playing and starting me for a few games now. It's nice to have that backing and it breeds confidence. If I can keep starting and putting in good performances, that's all I can do," he said after a training session at Cerezo Osaka's Kincho Stadium on Friday. I know what being in the squad is all about now. The nerves have pretty much gone away. I can be myself and be comfortable. Sainsbury, who made his Socceroo debut in the 2-0 loss to Belgium in September, says that while his Dutch club is not one of the best known, it is the right stepping stone for him at this stage of his career. The club I have gone to is not massive, but it sells on quite a few players. It plays a lot of good football and that suits me down to the ground and will help me in the long run," he says. I think people over there are starting to see my true potential. It's hard when you don't speak the language, but I think the coach is starting to trust me and is using me in most games. Sainsbury is wistful but determined when he recalls the day that he sustained the knee injury that cruelled his World Cup hopes. I fractured my patella ... it kept me out for about five months. There was a little bit of talk about me making the squad for Brazil and I was fairly confident I would get a chance to prove myself or at least make my debut for the national team in the build-up. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it's made me a stronger person. Everyone can say it's a cliche, that I had a lot more hunger as a result of that disappointment, but it's true. As soon as I saw the boys play on that pitch [in the World Cup] I had a massive smile and I just wanted to be part of it and enjoying the experience next time. Sainsbury has been touted as a future Socceroo for some time, but he is far from established in the central defensive slot. So it is hardly surprising that he is sticking to the party line when he says the summit of his ambition at the moment is to ensure a place in the Asian Cup squad for a tournament he acknowledges will bring plenty of pressure on the players. Not that he is concerned about that. "[The expectation of the public] brings a smile to our face," he says of the team. We know we are going to be in a comfortable environment that we know well. It's definitely a big opportunity for younger players to step up. The older ones won't be around forever. It's a chance for others to put their stamp on the squad and be the face of football for five or six years to come.