Under the youth marquee system, every A-League club is allowed to pay one local player under the age of 24 up to $150,000 outside the salary cap. 23-year old Ward, who came to Melbourne on a six-month contract back in December, extended his contract to run till the end of April 2009.

Billy Celeski and Leigh Broxham are also both in the selection, but Nick Ward misses out because of ongoing injury.

Meanwhile, Ward looks likely to re-sign with Melbourne for an extra year. He said earlier this week that he’s leaning towards staying another year, news which will surely please many Victory fans.

Only A-League players were picked for the training camp, though Verbeek insists there’s no guarantee that he’ll pick exclusively A-League players for the opening World Cup qualifier against Qatar on February 6.

On his perception of the A-League, Verbeek said:

“I enjoyed every game I’ve seen, the stadiums are fantastic, the crowds are unbelievable.”

“I saw great goals, but I saw also unbelievable mistakes.”

“It’s up to me to find out if the players make that same mistake too many times because then I cannot use them.” (The World Game)

While Archie’s inclusion in the line-up is predictable, Muscat and Vargas are surprising additions. Not that they’re undeserving – quite the contrary. Muscat is the rock-solid heart of the Victory; and Vargas has been one of the few constants in an ever-changing defensive line-up.

That Michael Theoklitos didn’t make it is disappointing. Clint Bolton and Ante Covic are the senior goalkeepers to have been picked for the camp. But Graham Arnold has selected Danny Vukovic, along with fourteen other Olyroos, to train alongside the senior Socceroos. Unsurprisingly, Leigh Broxham and Nick Ward have both been picked as well.

It will be interesting to see how many A-League players will feature in the Qatar match. If he wants any of the European-based Aussies, Verbeek knows he can get them. But since they’ll only be arriving about 48 hours before the game kicks off, a squad made up entirely of the European-based players seems risky – perhaps even more risky than a squad predominantly made up of local talent.

“I am looking for a Paul Wade type of character, a real hard grafter, a box-to-box midfielder, someone who is capable of getting forward”

Now, one week into December, Merrick has finally found the player he’s looking for: Nick Ward, a 22 year old attacking midfielder who was the Hyundai A-League Young Player of the year in 2005-06. After that successful year with Perth, in which he scored five times, Ward made a move to England in August last year, signing with English Championship side the Queens Park Rangers. He found goals harder to come by in England, picking up just one for the Q.P.R., and scoring another during his short loan to Brighton.

Ward is a talented midfielder yet to hit his prime. On paper, he seems to be the perfect man for the Melbourne Victory job. Could an energetic presence behind Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp be enough to re-ignite the Victory’s season?

Gary Cole sounds predictably upbeat about Ward:

“We’re unbelievably pleased to secure Nick Ward for the remainder of the Hyundai A-League season and for the upcoming 2008 AFC Champions League,” Cole said.

“Nick is a current Olyroo and was part of the team that qualified for next year’s Olympic Games.

“He was the best Under 20 player in the first A-League season and is an exciting prospect for the club.

“He’s an energetic midfielder who can run from penalty area to penalty area and also scores goals. He’s a fantastic addition to our squad.” (The Age)

Unlike Carlos Hernandez, Ward should not take too long to adjust to the tempo of the A-League. But can he find his rhythm quick enough to help Melbourne improve its form?

Let’s hope we see more of this from him over the next six months:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiGT8TZrRWY[/youtube]

Ward is a midfielder, and an attacking one at that. Sounds like just what Melbourne needs to reinvigorate a tired, overly defensive midfield.

He joins Melbourne on a six-month contract – enough to see out the rest of this A-League season and the group stage of the AFC Champions League.

Perhaps the bright spark Melbourne needs to kick into gear?