DANIEL McBreen's first memory of football is the Edgeworth Eagles and Jack McLaughlan Oval.
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A budding striker, McBreen started at "Edgey" in the under-9s in 1986.
He would make the short trek from his childhood home to train on the back fields, dreaming of the day he would grace the main pitch.
Now aged 42, and with a world of football behind him, McBreen will walk onto Jack McLaughlan Oval as a player for what shapes as the final time on Wednesday night.
What a way to go out - an FFA Cup final 16 showdown with the Newcastle Jets, which just happens to be his employer.
"Edgey is my first real memory of football and I'm still there," said McBreen, who is likely to call time on his NPL career at the end of this campaign. "We flew out here from England not long after I was born when dad (Jimmy) signed with Edgeworth. I don't remember the days of dad playing because I was too young. He had two years at Edgey and then went to KB United. My first years of playing football were here in under-9s."
McBreen, who has progressed from a cheeky eight year old into a cheeky veteran, won the Northern NSW golden boot in 1999.
Along the way, he helped Falkirk win promotion to the Scottish Premier League, hit the target for St Johnstone against Rangers in a Scottish Cup semi-final and trod the hallowed turf at Wembley for York City in the FA Trophy final.
Not to mention winning an A-League title and golden boot with the Mariners in 2013.
But Edgeworth remained close to his heart.
Now in his fourth year back at Jack McLaughlan, 'Macca', as much as anyone, knows how big Wednesday night will be for the club.
"It's good to have the local A-League club and the most successful local club playing off to make the final eight.
"We face an uphill battle, but knowing what Damian Zane is like, he won't be planning for us to simply make up the numbers."
McBreen, who is returning from a calf injury, is likely to play off the bench on Wednesday. Edgeworth play Lambton at Edden Oval on Sunday in the final round.
McBreen is then away for a fortnight as assistant coach with the Guam national team and will be back for the grand final at Magic Park if the Eagles qualify.
"As far as I'm concerned, this could be my last week in football as a player," he said.
However, the McBreen name won't be lost to Edgeworth.
"My eldest son Noah is in the under-10 SAP side and loves it," McBreen said. "He is definitely an attacker. Defending is not in his handbook. He loves football and the fact that we are both playing at the same club."
