Melbourne City sharpshooter extraordinaire Jamie Maclaren is not fixated on breaking the all-time A-League goal-scoring record but he says it is a nice carrot to have dangling in front of him.
The 29-year-old has scored in each of his past nine A-League games, an all-time competition record, and the Socceroos star now has 132 goals in his A-League career.
That puts him 10 behind Besart Berisha’s record of 142 goals.
It is a record Maclaren, speaking to the media before City’s home clash with Western United on Saturday night, reckons he can overhaul this season.
“I believe so,” Maclaren said when asked if he could get to 142 this season.
“Going into this season I looked at it and I was 22 (goals) off him. I’d scored more than 22 goals in previous seasons.
“I know (I can) if I put myself in the right positions, stay healthy and have the quality behind me to assist me. There are 10 to go, and obviously more than 10 games to go. I’ve got a goal a game and I’ll be working towards it.
“It is nice I have a target. I am not really obsessed with it but … it is a nice little milestone to try and catch down.
“I will be focused on Western United tomorrow and won’t be thinking about this record. Right now, it is Besart’s record.”
Maclaren reflected on how far he has come and on a time when his abilities were questioned.
“It’s funny because I remember after two goals at Perth a coach sat me down and said, ‘You are not part of my plans’, so it was a nice lightbulb moment to look back and think all those goals ago I could’ve not been in this position … but here I am now.”
Maclaren said the players around him at City deserved a lot of credit for pushing him to another level. He has 12 goals overall this season, six ahead of second placed Jason Cummings of Central Coast Mariners.
He has won four Golden Boot awards and said a fifth would “be great” but his focus remained on leading City to title glory.
City are out in front on the A-League ladder with 22 points. Western United are 10th on 11 points.
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