A Quick Word With … Michael Beauchamp

Few players have shone as brightly in the inaugural Hyundai A-League season as Central Coast Mariners lanky defender Michael Beauchamp.

Few players have shone as brightly in the inaugural Hyundai A-League season as Central Coast Mariners lanky defender Michael Beauchamp. Having seemingly been a quiet achiever throughout his career, and with just one substitute appearance for the Qantas u-23s to his name, the 25-year-old has been one of the star performers for the Mariners throughout the season and to top it all off, won his first cap for the Socceroos in their most recent outing against Bahrain…. We catch up with Michael following the Grand Final celebrations.

Q. A lot has happened in recent times in the career of Michael Beauchamp. Are the last few months a blur?

MB: It was definitely full-on especially going through the finals series, over to Bahrain, over to Adelaide and back for the Grand Final. It is has been very surreal.

Who would have believed (a year ago) that we would have had 40,000 at a football Grand Final here in Australia. The crowds told the story for the whole Hyundai A-League season and up at the Coast everything got bigger and better as the season went on so it has been great.

Q. Is it doubly a blur given the post GF 'celebrations'!? How were the players from the Central Coast Mariners shaping up 24 hours after the big match?

MB: We had the traditional ‘Mad Monday- which was good in that we all got to talk about the game and what thoughts they had so it was a bit of healing experience. We met a lot of locals and everyone was talking as if we had won it. It was great and everyone was saying they are definitely going to be there next year, and it (our success) has definitely helped to grow the game on the Coast.

Most of us had a few ‘cheeky drinks- on the Monday but everyone was well behaved. It was a good day but everyone acted in a controlled manner.

Q. You-re from Sydney originally but after the experiences of recent times and all the community engagement that the club did on the Central Coast do you feel like a local now?

MB: I grew up at Wakeley in western Sydney but I definitely feel like a Coastie. It certainly is a great place, great people and the whole area is just fantastic.

Q. How did it feel to wear the green and gold recently for the first time at senior level and how do you feel you went on debut?

MB: To be honest it was better than I imagined it would be. Just to stand there in the strip and sing the national anthem was fantastic and something I will remember forever. I can only imagine what it would be like to do be doing so in front a packed house of Australian supporters.

Overall I thought I went not too bad. It was quite physical with a few elbows flying and some off the ball stuff going on but I suppose you might expect it at that level. I missed a few tackles which I wasn-t happy about but I think I did alright.

Q. There has been a lot of media speculation that places in the World Cup squad are up for grabs and your name has been mentioned on many occasions. What do you think your chances are of winning a spot for Germany?

MB: Personally it (the World Cup) is still a fair way away. I have to concentrate on trying to get some games so I can keep ticking over and stay in the plans of (Socceroo coaching staff) Guus, Arnie and Johan. I-m sure they are looking at players who are playing regular football so to compete against the boys who are playing overseas I need to look at my options with my manager.

Q. Finally a question that has tantalized many a Hyundai A-League fan … is your name pronounced Bow-chomp or Bee-chemp?

MB: (Ha ha) I get asked this regularly and I will give the same response … I was brought up to be saying Bee-Chemp but my grandmother when she wants to be fancy will give the old ‘Bow-chomp-. I have grown up with a lot of pronunciations so nothing bothers me really!