The United man found himself in trouble on numerous occasions last year with the yellow cards piling up and suspensions imposed.

But that was then and Pantelidis is determined to start afresh this season and maintain a level head during games.

"I can't and won't go back to the way I was picking up cards and getting in trouble when there was no need to," said the hardman turned self-styled reformed player," he told goldcoast.com.au.

"I think I've found a cure for my problems after a few good sessions with the psychologist who gave me some mental exercises to do to calm me down and get me on the right track.

"It's really about not getting too worked up and diving into challenges when there's no need to."

The former Melbourne Victory man is confident that the new approach will bear fruit when the A-League campaign gets underway next month.

"It's not been a major shift but I've picked up a few things which are going to totally change my mindset," he added.

"You will see a new me during the season. My approach will be different and I'll be wiser in everything I do."