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McGowan eyes reward for A-League sacrifice

3 minute read

Having left his family in Scotland to complete the A-League season, Sydney FC's Ryan McGowan is within touching distance of a maiden championship win.

Sydney FC defender Ryan McGowan hopes to reap the rewards of his personal sacrifices by winning an A-League championship in his first season back in Australia.

McGowan's family are in Scotland, where his daughter Millie was born in May during the A-League season shutdown.

To feature in the finals, the defender had to leave his family and complete a 14-day quarantine before re-joining the Sky Blues for the season restart in July.

"I don't know if (winning the grand final will) make up for the time lost but it'll definitely go a little way in having something to show for the sacrifices I have made," McGowan said.

"It's not just myself, it's pretty much the whole league - everyone having to come to Sydney and be away from their families as well (and) even the Brisbane boys that have to go back and do the quarantine (in Queensland).

"So us as a club are thankful for everyone, the other players - I think the players have really stuck together.

"... Hopefully we can put on a good show on Sunday and, for our sake, win the game."

This season was McGowan's first in Australia since turning professional, having enjoyed a long career in Scotland and stints in China, the UAE and England - while also playing for the Socceroos.

McGowan joined Sydney to win trophies and play in big games.

He hopes to complete the premiership-championship double when they face Melbourne City on Sunday evening at Bankwest Stadium.

The decider will be McGowan's first A-League grand final but he won the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 2012 - scoring in the final - and the Chinese FA Cup with Shandong Luneng Taishan in 2014.

"A lot of us have played in big games before, a lot of the players here played in the grand final last year and I think it's only Joshy (Brillante) for City that's played," he said.

"They'll be right up for it, it's their first grand final that they've ever made.

"So I think it'll be a cracking game."

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