The Wanderers' Joey Gibbs and Sydney FC's Terry Antonis ahead of their derby clash. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
THEY trained together in the Sydney youth team and both were offered professional contracts by the Sky Blues.
But it's a twist of football fate that has brought Terry Antonis and Joey Gibbs into opposition in tomorrow's derby before a crowd that will possibly approach 30,000 at Allianz Stadium.
Antonis has long been the club's golden child, one of the most talented players of his generation and still only 19.
But it was Gibbs who at 18 remarkably played in the 2010 grand final - albeit only for a few minutes.
Tomorrow, though, the medal will carry no currency. Instead, Gibbs's former teammates will use whatever ammunition they can to unsettle the 20-year-old, who is likely to lead the Wanderers' attack.
"I trained with Joey under Vitja (Vitezslav Lavicka) but I never played with him," Antonis said. "But some of the younger boys like Sebastian Ryall and Rhyan Grant, they were here with him and I think they'll give him a bit of stick on Saturday.
"All the boys are pumped up now ... everyone fires up. It's a different ball game that everyone wants to win.
"But you know, Joey's a very humble kid, very polite and a great person."
Gibbs is well aware what might come his way, especially when he enters the territory of Ryall at rightback.
"They're all very competitive players, and all friendships get put aside when we kick off," he said. "But I'm not really too worried.
"All my energy will be taken up with my running and getting in position.
"I've been learning all the time (from Tony Popovic and Ante Milicic) and I think I've come a long way in a short time thanks to them. If I get my opportunity, I'll be ready."
Antonis took up Sydney's offer of a full-time professional contract, whereas Gibbs, despite his late cameo in the grand final, elected to try his luck overseas.
When that didn't work out, he earned a late contract offer from Popovic but has had to wait his turn behind Croatian striker Dino Kresinger.
"I feel like I'm at a place where we can improve every day," he said.
"The attitude is striving to be better all the time and that sort of mentality is perfect for a young footballer."
Antonis looks certain to come in after a week away with the Socceroos, given the absence through suspension of Terry McFlynn, and wants to relish a potentially crackling atmosphere that could test family loyalties.
"This time it's our crowd, it's a Sydney derby and it'll be massive," he said. "I've always gone for Sydney since they first started. Western Sydney came slowly but I'm a Sydney FC boy.
"Hopefully my family and my mates follow me but we'll have to see."
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