The attacking left back is on loan at German club Nuremberg from Central Coast and the Bundesliga club has the option of signing him to a longer contract.

However, given he’s not been able to break into the first team squad, a return seems likely and McKinna would be grateful for the added goalscoring potential for his goal-shy squad.

“We’ll know by March 31 what the club wants to do with Heff. It’s 50-50,” McKinna told www.au.fourfourtwo.com. “He’s still with Nuremberg but we’d certainly welcome him back if they said he could go. Heff did a fantastic job with us in season one of the A-League.”

Nevertheless, McKinna is satisfied he’s plugged the goalscoring gaps with his latest recruits Sasho Petrovski and Greg Owens. And he’s treating perennially crocked striker Nick Mrjda in a similar vein.

“Nicky Mrjda is like a new signing for us when you consider all the time out he’s been injured. And he is 100% over the injury… If you add Heffernan to our squad, we should be able to take our chances this season, which obviously wasn’t something we did last season.”

McKinna – who will begin a rigorous pre-season from May 14 - also confirmed two talented teens were on his shopping list for A-League version 3. Big AIS keeper Andrew Redmayne and NSW premier league midfielder Evan Berger are the two being considered.

Both players have also been named in FourFourTwo magazine’s “Ten Best Players Outside The A-League” feature which hits shelves in early April.

In other news, the Mariners have been invited to the Hong Kong sevens tournament in late May. And today the club announced Rebel Sport has renewed its sponsorship arrangement with the club for the forthcoming season.