JASON Hoffman didn't say boo when he first entered the Newcastle Jets dressing room as an 18-year-old striker in 2007.
"I thought I may have a future in the game but I had to prove it every single day," Hoffman said. "You kept your mouth shut, you went to work and did what you had to do to be better every day."
Half a lifetime later, not a great deal has changed.
Hoffman, now 33, is set to become the most capped player in Jets' history against the Brisbane Roar at home on Friday night.
If, as expected, he enters the fray, it will be the utility's 211th appearance in all competitions, surpassing the record held by close friend and fellow home-grown product Ben Kantarovski.
Hoffman's match log is comprised of 192 A-League games, nine in the Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup), three in the Preseason Cup and four appearances in the Asian Champions League.
"I'm always thinking forward about what is next," Hoffman said.
"This is probably something I will look back on and say it is a pretty proud moment to become the most capped Newcastle Jets player. Especially being a local boy and having pride in the club but also in the region."
Hoffman has no plans to call full-time on a professional career that is in its 18th season. As well as 13 campaigns with the Jets, he spent five seasons at Melbourne City, playing 80 games.
"If my performances justify it and everything is going well, then I will continue to play as long as possible," he said. "Physically I feel great, mentally I'm great and I feel like the group we have is one I want to be a part of.
"It extends back to one thing; a pure love for the game.
"I can't imagine myself right now doing anything different. It will be a surreal moment when that no longer is the situation.
"As a footballer, you live in an almost selfish bubble. My wife, Tash, and my parents have sacrificed a hell of a lot for me to have the journey I have had. Friday night, will be a really good moment for them."
Hoffman has progressed from a teenage attacker into a reliable defender and senior figure in the Jets dressing room.
"I came into the team as a striker and we had the most prolific striker in the league in Joel Griffiths," Hoffman said. "To have an opportunity to potentially play alongside him and also earn his respect was a challenge in itself.
"Fast forward to now, I'm someone who has a fair bit of experience and can give back to the younger boys in the squad. I am more vocal in the change room and feel comfortable in certain situations.
"When you are younger you take the big games very seriously, the nerves and the anxiety are there. Now, you look at the F3 derby and big games on the calendar, they are the ones you want to play in. I genuinely love every game of football without getting to the level where you feel sick with nerves.
"If you can pass on a bit of calmness to the squad and focus on what is important, hopefully that leads to performances that bring us success."
Hoffman spent Tuesday morning with Kantarovski, who had his career stalled by a nerve injury two seasons ago.
"I think people forget the contribution that Kanta made to the club and the football region," Hoffman said. "I was with Ben at Merewether baths on Tuesday morning and we were talking about Friday night. If things had gone differently for him, I would not be anywhere near the milestone.
"He is still hoping to return to football from his current setback. The fact that Ben and I, local boys, sit at the top of the appearance record is something I'm sure Ben is proud of and I'm proud of."
Another home-grown defender, Andy Roberts, holds the record for most games in the national league for Newcastle at 234.
"If I can stretch out a few more years, which physically and mentally I believe I will be able to do, that would be one for the future," Hoffman said. "For now I am focused purely on putting in a good performance and doing what is required to lift some silverware at the end of the year."
Hoffman experienced success instantly, playing off the bench in the Jets' 1-0 win over Central Coast to win the 2008 championship.
"I was dropped from the squad for the preliminary final," Hoffman said. "The boys won the prelim and I thought my chance to play in the grand final squad was gone. I remember thinking this is the week of all weeks, where I have to put my head down to prove a point. I managed to convince the coach that I was good enough to play a part.
"To play the back-end of that match was a catapult moment for me. To see the response from the Newcastle fans and the feeling of winning silverware, you want it again and again and again."
In 2018, the Jets went from wooden-spooners to a grand final, going down 1-0 to Melbourne Victory courtesy of a VAR malfunction.
"At the start of the year not many picked us to get there," Hoffman said. "The salty end to that season, with how the grand final went down, leaves you hungry to get back there and rewrite the wrongs from the end of that season."
First is Friday and the Brisbane Roar.
"To be honest, most of my milestone games have been a loss," he said.
"It is a bit awkward when the attention is on you sometimes. It is nice to get a pat on the back, but what you really want is for the team to get three points."
"I am a bit more experienced now and handle those milestone games a bit differently. I'm just looking forward to Friday night and helping the team get the result we need."
