The 23 year-old recently returned to Olympic’s starting line-up after a long stint on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

But he says his chances of playing in the A-League have not been affected, despite the fact that he has missed a large part of the club’s campaign.

“A lot of people have said to me 'If only you didn’t get hurt' but it’s part of football: you can only control some things...but I ignore that," said Cole.

"I’m not upset because I feel great right now.”

Despite reported interest from A-League clubs after Cole inspired Sydney Olympic to Johnny Warren Cup success during pre-season, the player maintains that he has received no official approaches.

“I got told here and there that there were a number of clubs looking at me but it never really went past rumours.”

Cole’s return to the Sydney Olympic team has coincided with three consecutive victories.

A 4-2 away win over Penrith-Nepean United was followed by a penalty shoot-out victory in the Tiger Turf Quarter-Final victory over Marconi and a 5-0 demolition of the Macarthur Rams on Sunday with fellow A-League hopeful Siraj Al-Tall scoring the opening two goals.

Despite his injury setback, Cole is still convinced he has what it takes to make it in the A-League - but so are many others, he admitted.

“In one word: yes," he said. "But then again, I’m not a standout from the league because I think there are a lot of players who could definitely perform at that level.”

Cole says the comparative lack of professionalism at state and national level is a major obstacle for potential future stars.

“Players in the Telechoice Premier League are part-time footballers as opposed to the professional players at A-League clubs," he added.

"If you took a lot of players out of the Premier League and put them in a full-time playing environment, they would be able to step up to the challenge.

“Look at Mile Jedinak, who is an A-League stand-out and Socceroo now but not so long ago was playing at state level – and there are probably a lot of guys in a similar situation.

“There are a lot of players at Sydney Olympic who – if given the opportunity – would more than live up to expectations.”

Though the Olympic star concedes that his three year stint with the club could end at the end of this season, he is looking to qualify for and win the Premier League Grand-Final with the blue-and-white-stripped Sydney outfit.

“Obviously I’d love to play in the A-League but if I don’t perform at this level that isn’t going to happen," he said.

"So my one and only priority now is playing my best for Sydney Olympic and winning what we can.

“I’ll see what happens. I’ll focus on the next two months and see what we can win with Olympic before I decide on my future.”

Cole also thanked the club for their support during his rehabilitation process.

He added: “The club has been a great help.

"The physio Kenny Michalopoulos did a great job with me, always calling me everyday to see how I was and whether I was doing everything properly and [head coach] Milan Blagojevic was very understanding.”