NEW LEASE: Ethan Dent is enjoying a book-ended career at the premiership level as a homegrown talent. PHOTO/Paul Taylor
He made his debut for Hawke's Bay United as a 16-year-old Hastings Boys' High School pupil but now Ethan Dent has returned a shade more than a decade later as an older head.
"It's a little bit odd being one of the old heads in the team for a change," says Dent with a laugh before the Thirsty Whale-sponsored franchise team play Team Wellington away tomorrow in round 12.
The 27-year-old holding midfielder from Napier is simply relishing having another chance to play in the Stirling Sports Premiership over summer under coach Brett Angell.
"When I got the call from Shane [McKenzie] to come down to trial at the start of the season I wanted take the opportunity with both hands," he says of the franchise general manager operations.
He has trained and bided his time a little for some precious minutes.
"I've probably been behind the pace a little bit for the first minute or two but I feel like I've turned the corner to push my way into the squad and into Brett's selection plan, which is nice as well."
Dent made his debut for Bay United as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2005-06, debuting against Auckland City at Kiwitea St.
In more than a decade, Dent graduated from university, worked in Palmerston North as well as embarked on his big OE to the United Kingdom.
The marketing co-ordinator at Unison in Hastings has played for Palmerston North Marist in the Lotto Central League.
"It was about establishing a working career so football, unfortunately, fell to the side a little bit.
"I've been given a chance to come back into the fold again and it's something I've really enjoyed."
Dent has come off the bench twice now, away against Waitakere United and Eastern Suburbs last Sunday in Napier.
It's dawned on Dent how good and demanding the national league level is with daily training and frequenting gyms in between.
"You have to look after yourself a lot more than you do in winter," says the Havelock North Wanderers midfielder.
It's the sort of experience that will open the eyes of youngsters such as Jorge Akers and Jackson Ralph who have been called in from the youth team.
The long-term goal to inject homegrown talent sits comfortably with him.
"I was born here, grew up here and played a little bit of football here so I'm passionate about playing for Hawke's Bay.
"I'm sure those young boys know as well and for them it's to understand the responsibility of coming into the squad and pushing for selection as well."
Bay United is a tight group and better for adopting that stance, he feels.
"If we're going to play for each other than we're going to win for each other as well."
The young guns bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to keep older players like him honest.
Retrospectively, Dent appreciates the foreign legion in Bay United bring something to the park every season which youngsters benefit from.
"It's great playing with some of the foreign boys, not just football wise but the culture that they bring to the group with their different personalities and different journeys.
"We really get on well so it's great for these young guys to be with guys who have played at a really good level overseas as well, not to say there are some Kiwi boys in there who are just as good."
Rubbing shoulders with them and embracing the challenges are great but the burden of responsibility on "locals" tends to be higher.
Those who have the rite of passage have earned that privilege because there's no such thing as obtaining a free ticket to correct any political imbalances.
"Hopefully I've put my hand up in the last couple of games to push for a little bit more game time."
Dent says sitting on the bench is never any player's benchmark so pushing the boundaries is a given as every squad member raises the intensity at training to state their case.
"It's good for the team, it's good for the club and it's good for the local boys who realise they don't just have to walk in but actually earn their spot."
Dent hopes to have a solid winter season under new Wanderers coach Chris Greatholder then try to throw his hat into the Bay United ring for another term.
He intends to play for as long as he can at the national level.
Team Wellington knocking Bay United out of their campaign in Napier last season hurt a lot of the boys so he is expecting a big game tomorrow at David Farrington Park from 2pm.
"We do need the three points so I think it'll be a great game between two of the stronger sides in the [premiership]."
No doubt, if Bay captain Finlay Milne and his men fail to switch on from the kick off it can become a long day but their porous defence will need to be resolute.
He'll relish coming across familiar faces in Wellington captain Bill Robertson and mercurial midfielder Andy Bevin.
"Saul Halpin referred to me as a fire extinguisher so I take the sting out of the game a little bit," says Dent who evolved as a striker to holding midfielder for Havelock North who secures the ball and retains it to starve the opposition of possession.