Western Sydney Wanderers' defender Daniel Mullen said he's seeking redemption in the AFC Champions League final against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal after missing out the first time an Australian side reached the continental showpiece six years ago.
Mullen was fast-tracked into the Adelaide United side for the knockout stages of the 2008 AFC Champions League. He had just joined the club's professional ranks ahead of the 2008-09 A-League season. However, the teenager featured in three of the four Champions League games as Adelaide beat Japan's Kashima Antlers and Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor.
Mullen was called up to the Australia squad for the 2008 AFC Under-19 Championship and subsequently missed Adelaide's 5-0 aggregate defeat by Japan's Gamba Osaka in the final.
"For me it is a second chance to play in a final having been there before with Adelaide United, but I wasn't able to play a part in the final as I was away with the Under-19 national team," said Mullen who, along with his Wanderers teammates, will entertain Al Hilal in the first leg of this year's final at Parramatta Stadium on Oct. 25.
"So for me, it is exciting and hopefully time for some redemption as well. We are just trying to go about things in the normal way we do in terms of preparation and training, and not play the game before it comes."
Mullen, who helped Australia reach the semifinal of the 2008 AFC Under-19 Championship, watched both legs of the 2008 final from a hotel room in Saudi Arabia. Now, the now 24-year-old full-back is set to feature against Al Hilal having established himself as a key player for Wanderers under coach Tony Popovic.
Question marks do though remain over who will join Mullen in a defence which has not conceded a goal at Parramatta Stadium in their last five continental outings. Australia international Matthew Spiranovic is pushing for a return to the side having undergone ankle surgery following the World Cup. Spiranovic, who played all three games in Brazil, missed Wanderers' knockout stage wins over Guangzhou and FC Seoul. Off-season acquisition Brendan Hamill partnered captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley in central defence in those matches.
Brendon Santalab is another doubt after suffering a hamstring strain in the closing stages of last weekend's 3-2 defeat by Sydney FC, while fellow forward Tomi Juric is short of match fitness due to a groin strain.
"We are at the fittest we have been since pre-season started. We have got pretty much everyone coming back from injury. The coaches will have a large group of players to select from and everyone is eager to play in such a massive game," added Mullen, who has made nine appearances for Wanderers en route to the final. "The final is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
The back-to-back A-League Grand Finalists earned their place in the final by beating J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, 2013 winners Guangzhou Evergrande from China and last season's runners-up FC Seoul from Korea Republic.
But Popovic's side head into the first leg of the final against Al Hilal having lost their opening two games of the new A-League season, with the latest suffered after letting slip a 2-0 lead against Sydney FC on Oct. 18.
"We know we are here on merit as we are one of the two best teams in Asia. We have proven that in the group stage and knockout stage. We have come up against some quality opposition and outplayed them at times and got the results that we needed," said Mullen, who celebrates his 25th birthday the day after the first leg. "We can put the A-League in the back of our minds and our full focus is on the final this week."
Two-time Asian Club Championship winners Al Hilal, though, represent a totally new challenge for Wanderers. Popovic's side have only played teams from the East of the continent up to now. "It is good to have the first game at home because we have got such a good fanbase and supporters, and they can be the 12th man that we need to get an edge," said Mullen, who will travel to Riyadh with his teammates for the second leg of the final on Nov. 1
"To have the first game here is important as we can hopefully get off to a good start to set a tone for the second game."