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Jamie Maclaren is scoring goals at will for club and country but the Socceroos striker has no thoughts of leaving the A-League and Melbourne City.
In scintillating form and scoring goals for fun, Jamie Maclaren has no interest in leaving the A-League again.
The Melbourne City sharpshooter has scored nine goals in four A-League games this season including five in the space of two games after a fortnight on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
When Socceroos and FFA Cup games come into the equation, Maclaren's stats rise to a stunning 16 goals in nine appearances.
It's the type of form that has reignited the conversation over whether Maclaren should be plying his trade in a better league but as things stand, the 26-year-old Victorian has no plans of going anywhere.
"I love it here and I'm not better than the A-League - I don't know who's said that - but it's a league that suits me," Maclaren said.
"I scored my 65th goal (on Friday night) and someone told me I'm in the top five (all-time A-league goalscorers) now so it's something that I'm really proud of - at the end of the day I'm an Australian player and I want to give back to the game as well.
"It's a place that especially playing in my home town, it's great to play in front of family and stuff but I don't have any interest in going anywhere any time soon."
Maclaren has previously tested himself outside the A-League, moving to England as a teenager for an opportunity at Blackburn Rovers, before returning to Australia as a 20-year-old.
After a stint at Perth Glory, then two stellar seasons with Brisbane Roar, he moved to German side SV Darmstadt 98 - where he barely featured. A loan move to Scottish club Hibernian originally paid dividends, but Maclaren fell out of favour last year, before joining City on a marquee deal until the end of the 2022 season.
He scored five goals in nine games last season, but the self-confessed confidence player looks to have found a new level at the heart of new City manager Erick Mombaerts' attacking philosophy.
With City looking in a commanding position to chase long-craved A-League silverware, even if suitors come knocking for Maclaren in January, the A-League leaders would likely be loath to part with their spearhead.
"Everything's kind of flowing at the moment and it is true - if you are happy off the pitch that transpires onto the pitch and I'm in a great place at the moment," he said.
