Both my parents and my sisters are my biggest supporters, so they are my biggest inspiration.
- Rhyan Grant
THE parent taxi - it is something which sporting stars across the Central West have relied on as they have tried to forge themselves a career and often a sacrifice which goes unnoticed.
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But Sydney FC and Socceroos star Rhyan Grant knows the value of the hours his father put in to drive him to training sessions when he was a teenager.
In fact when the Bathurst District Football graduate was asked what his biggest inspiration was, Grant replied: "It's definitely my family."
"Obviously my old man and my Mum put in a lot of hours, as most parents do, especially my Dad. He used to drive me from Bathurst to Sydney, three-and-a-half hours for training then three-and-a-half hours back home and then he'd go to work the next day," Grant said.
"He'd be up at 6.30am to go to work and he'd do that three or four times a week for a good year there before I eventually moved to Sydney.
"[Now] Dad never seems to miss a game, especially the home ones, and Mum's always there too.
"Both my parents and my sisters are my biggest supporters, so they are my biggest inspiration."
Driving Grant to and from training sessions in Sydney paid off as he played in Sydney FC's inaugural National Youth League outfit as a 16-year-old in 2008 and by the end of the year had made his A-League debut.
Since then he has gone on to play more than 150 A-League games in the sky blue, his highlights including scoring in Sydney FC's grand final wins over Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory.
This season his side is chasing another crown as they currently lead the league by 11 points.
Grant has missed Sydney FC's two latest outings, wins against Adelaide and Newcastle, due to a two-week suspension after he was red-carded for a foul tackle on Melbourne City's Nathaniel Atkinson.
As the sky blues have the round 15 bye, Grant is set to return for the January 24 clash against Melbourne Victory. The two clubs have a strong rivalry and the star defender is eagerly looking forward to the clash.
"I can't wait to get back out on the pitch for the Big Blue," he said.
Grant will be looking to continue his good club form not just to help Sydney FC in its pursuit of another A-League title, but to ensure he retains his spot as right fullback in the Socceroos' starting line-up.
The national side has a pair of World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March, taking on Kuwait at home and Nepal away.
Grant has started in all four of the Socceroos' World Cup qualifiers thus far.
