JETS outcast Kasey Wehrman says he is available for selection and eager to help Newcastle fight for an A-League finals berth if coach Gary van Egmond needs him.
The Jets have lost Ben Kantarovski for the next four games because of Olyroos commitments, leaving van Egmond with a depleted midfield at a defining point in their season.
With eight games remaining, Newcastle have climbed to within two points of sixth-placed Sydney and could leapfrog the Sky Blues into the top six with a win at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
Wehrman has spent the past five games in purgatory after making public comments about Newcastle’s revamped playing style, sparking a falling-out with van Egmond.
He told the Herald yesterday that his comments had been naive and he had brought the situation on himself.
There was speculation the Jets would look to offload the veteran during the January transfer window, possibly trading him for a player at a rival A-League club, but that now appears unlikely.
Wehrman said yesterday that unless an offer came out of the blue, he planned to see out the season with Newcastle before possibly returning to Norway.
And after a frustrating month on the sidelines, he would relish the opportunity to help his teammates finish the season strongly.
‘‘I’m training with them 100 per cent all the time, doing all the right things and keeping fit,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m still paid by the club and I still have close ties with the players and the team.
‘‘I’d give 100 per cent, of course, if I was given the chance. You don’t just want to get paid for sitting around.
‘‘But that’s obviously up to Gary ... we’ve cleared the air, but I guess it’s whether Gary is open to me coming back.
‘‘It’s totally up to Gary. If he wants to use me, I’m here and available.’’
Asked whether he would consider reinstating Wehrman, van Egmond was noncommittal yesterday.
‘‘We’ll just consider all our options,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ll have a look at what we’re going to be doing for the games coming up.
‘‘We’ve had some young ones come through, and we’re getting a few back from injury, so we’ll just wait and see.’’
Van Egmond said he had ‘‘no problems whatsoever’’ with Wehrman, whom he said was highly regarded by his fellow players and Newcastle’s coaching staff.
‘‘We’ll just assess him like we assess every player,’’ he said.
Wehrman said he had apologised to van Egmond for his offending comments and was hopeful they had made peace.
‘‘I didn’t mean any harm by it, but if anything, it was a little bit naive by me,’’ he said. ‘‘I should know better than that ... Gary’s got a job to do, and he needs senior players on board, and I totally agree with that.
‘‘I can see why he’d be a bit angry about that. I’d like to be a coach myself one day, as well.’’
The 34-year-old said he would much rather be playing than spectating.
‘‘It’s what I love to do,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s what I’ve been doing the last Saturday or Sunday for 15 years.
‘‘It’s tough. I want to get out there and help the lads, and be there not only when they win, but also when they lose as well.
‘‘It’s tough. But it’s probably something I’ve brought on myself.
‘‘All I can do is learn from it and get on with it.’’
As well as feeling a duty to his teammates, Wehrman said he appreciated the support he had received from Newcastle’s fans.
‘‘You feel like you owe those people as well,’’ he said. ‘‘It would be nice to repay them and hopefully play some finals football.
‘‘I’m not saying I can reward them on my own – there are 10 other players on the field as well – but given the chance I would play as I’ve always played and give 100 per cent.’’
? The Jets expect to learn this week who will be the arbitrator in their dispute with Football Federation Australia over Jason Culina.
The Jets and Professional Footballers Australia, which is representing Culina, have lodged grievance notices alleging that FFA should have ensured the former Socceroo had appropriate insurance when he was playing for the Gold Coast.
The arbitrator, usually a retired judge, will first schedule a directions briefing. He will then set a date for a formal arbitration hearing, after which he will hand down a resolution.
Under FFA’s grievance-resolution regulations, the arbitrator’s ruling will be final and binding for all parties, ‘‘subject only to the specified rights of appeal’’.
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