Towering central defender Nigel Boogaard is capped at Under 17 and Schoolboy level for Australia and comes to Central Coast Stadium having made one NSL appearance for Newcastle United in 2004. Boogaard was an integral member of Australia’s Under 17 World Championship campaign in 2003, starting all but two of their seven qualifying matches and facing Argentina and Costa Rica in the Championships proper in Finland. Following the Joeys World Championship appearance, Boogaard was apart of an Australian Schoolboys team that thrashed New Zealand 8-1 over two legs away from home, netting a goal in the second leg. Having played for NSW Premier League side Central Coast United in the Hyundai A-League downtime, Boogaard is more accustomed than most to the Mariners home at Gosford and his outstanding aerial ability and maturity beyond his years will make him a valuable asset to the Mariners defence.

Youth international Boogaard will be looking to re-establish himself as a top flight defender in 2006/07 after enduring a wearisome inaugural campaign with the Central Coast Mariners. Boogaard, one of the Mariners’ two mandatory restricted age players, arrived on the Central Coast with a reputation and regard as strong as any youth player in Australia. Having featured as one of the Joeys more prominent players throughout the 2003 FIFA Under 17 World Championship and the qualification campaign prior, Boogaard was expected to register significant match time with the Mariners in 2005/06 before contracting a debilitating case of glandular fever following the Mariners’ pre season trip to Hong Kong in May 2005. Fully fit, Boogaard is potentially one of Australia’s leading man markers for his age, a notion he is desperate to prove in 2006/07.