Ahead of the current All Whites tour, Matt Garbett wanted to make himself indispensable.
Even with the absence of Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas, coach Danny Hay has no shortage of options in midfield, in the most competitive New Zealand squad ever assembled.
Training sessions have been intense – asplayers vie to impress – all hoping for a starting spot against Costa Rica next Wednesday.
But Garbett's name will surely already be written in permanent marker, such was his impact against Peru last Sunday.
His performance was outstanding, a dynamic presence and the standout among the men in black.
Athletes talk about being in the zone and Garbett found it at RCDE stadium.
Twice within the first 10 minutes he was involved in promising offensive moments, while his turnover initiated the move that led to Alex Greive's stinging first half shot.
He often escaped his marker, twisting out of trouble to find open pastures and was assured from the start, as others struggled to settle.
"It's what players love, playing in front of fans," Garbett told the Herald.
"Even walking out for the warm up we heard them booing us. But that is what you love as a player. For me, it's probably the first or second experience like that.
"I thought, 'just play quick, put a tackle in and go in hard because I have got nothing to lose'. I have got to make my mark to get into the starting XI and show the coaches what I have got."
Matt Garbett has impressed for the All Whites. Photo / Photosport
That he certainly did, shown as Hay wandered past during the Herald interview, before saying "he was good" as he glanced at Garbett.
It was easy to forget that Garbett has only just turned 20, and has been playing in the Torino youth team, such was the maturity in his play.
"[He is] a ball of energy and extremely talented," says teammate Joe Bell. "He embodies the direction that New Zealand Football is moving in. He is a young player that plays without fear and always gives his all.
"I told him [after the game], I couldn't believe the amount of ground that he covers defensively. It's always nice when you are playing in the midfield with players like that."
Whatever happens over the next seven days, Garbett can already reflect on a remarkable 12 months.
Originally selected as a travelling reserve for the Tokyo Olympics, outside the 18-man squad, Garbett's form in training was impossible to ignore and he started the critical final group match against Romania, as well as the quarter-final against Japan.
He then signed a four-year deal with Serie A club Torino last August, before making his All Whites debut in the 2-1 win over Curaçao two months later.
He has already accumulated nine caps, grabbing his first senior goal in the 5-0 win over Solomon Islands in March.
It's especially impressive given the Western Suburbs product endured a difficult stint in Sweden before that, with only seven starts (and a total of 843 minutes) across an 18-month period at Falkenburgs FF.
Garbett is living the dream, but has already got a mindset beyond his years. He described the Peru match as "the kick start we needed" and is confident the team can build from there.
Garbett is an unmistakable presence at practice sessions, always wanting the ball and never afraid to test the keepers from long range.
"We have a really good winning mentality, even in training," said Garbett. "The coaches have set up a mentality in this dressing room. They have brought players that have come here to work, they are not coming here for going on tour, we have come here to work.
"The ultimate goal is to qualify for that World Cup and for that to happen we need that kind of mentality."
