Italiano's appeared in five A-League matches this season, failing to keep a clean sheet but impressing on multiple occasions under significant pressure.

However despite the 28-year-old cementing a continued understudy role to veteran keeper and Jets' number one, Glen Moss, Italiano was keen to secure his short-term future with a baby on the way.

"Coming here for another year, I've got to push Mossy again, I know him well from my time in New Zealand so we both push each other. Next season I want to play more than just a handful of games.

"I go day by day here but for the future I've got a family as well, I've got a new one on the way so I have to have that security.

"It's a new path, it's a whole new thing altogether. Now I have to balance soccer and family life but it will balance itself. 

"There's always a few to give advice, but I think Nigel (Boogard) just had one as well so I'll get tips."

It's a brief insight into the stresses footballers face balancing short and often tumultuous professional careers with raising a family, with these issues often exacerbated for reserve goalkeepers in the A-League.

On significantly lower wages than footballers overseas or marquee names at their own domestic teams, goalkeepers like Italiano - who only last season was playing for an NPL side as well as Wellington Phoenix's reserves - face a juggling act when planning a future outside of football.

Not that the 191-centimetre shot-stopper is focusing on anything other than pushing Moss, who also signed a one-year contract extension, all the way for a starting A-League role.

His task isn't easy, however. Despite being well-within his mid-thirties, Moss has continued to shine this season in contrast to a leaky Jets backline, boasting one of the league's highest save percentages at 72%.

"Coming here I've managed to grab myself a bunch of games which is good, I'm always learning and the coach is really good," he continued.

"It's very important for my development to be able to play, you can only train for a certain amount of time before you've got to play to improve."