Newcastle Jets veteran Jason Hoffman is a Novocastrian through and through, and he says no other club in the world could have been able to provide him a platform to reach his 250th game.
The 33-year-old is and bred in Newcastle, and said there was nothing more special for than playing for his hometown club.
“This is my hometown club and no other club in the world would be able to provide a platform for me to play with such passion for a club that I truly, truly support,” he said.
On Tuesday night, in front of a home crowd at McDonald Jones stadium, Hoffman reached his 250th game milestone during a 4-2 loss to Melbourne City.
Hoffman is the only remaining squad member of the Jets’ 2007/08 Championship season Not only was he part of the winning squad, but it was also his rookie season in the A-League Men.
Despite his achievements over the years and the career milestone, Hoffman remained as humble as ever when discussing what it meant to him.
“Two hundred and fifty games is a nice acknowledgement for service to the game, but it’s really just another match,” he said.
“It’s nice to have those individual milestones, but for me at the ripe age of 33 I just want to keep going as long as I can.”
His 250th game was also coincidentally played against City, the other ALM club Hoffman has played for.
“It’s funny how things work out,” he said.
“Playing in Melbourne was a key part of my career where I learned to do a lot of things on my own and I matured a lot, and I was able to bring a lot of that experience back to Newcastle.”
Newcastle Jets head coach Arthur Papas also had plenty of praise for the veteran player, speaking of his experience and leadership within the club.
“Hoff leads by example in the way he conducts himself as a human, the way he talks within the group and the way he leads through action,” he said.
“He’s an exceptional person and that resonates in the way he goes about everything on and off the field.”
Hoffman becomes just the eighth player in the ALM to reach the milestone of 250 games, proving just how integral he has been to the club.
“He’s got a leadership role within the group and that’s what occurs overtime once you get to these stages in your career and you’re regarded the way you are,” Papas said.
“He’s someone that we call upon frequently to discuss the dynamics of the team and where we want to go not only as a team but also as a club.
“He’s integral to what we’re doing.”
Feature Image Credit: Newcastle Jets
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