Yesterday he was named January's most outstanding U21 player in the A-League for the 2012/13 NAB Young Footballer of the Year award. 

The boy from Bathurst is enjoying a break-out season in an otherwise disjointed campaign for the Sky Blues.

Amazingly he is already the squad’s third longest serving player after skipper Terry McFlynn and goalkeeper Ivan Necevski.

Now onto his fourth coach with Frank Farina, at a club known for its revolving-door, Grant’s longevity is an achievement in itself.

Even his reputation as a dependable go-to man seems at odds with a team whose onfield performances are as unpredictable as the Sydney weather.

In his fifth season with the harboursiders, and with a new two-year deal under his belt, Grant believes he’s finally coming into his own.

A string of standout performances and a couple of handy goals including an injury-time winner against Melbourne Heart in round 16 suggest he could be right.

“It’s hard work paying off,” Grant told au.fourfourtwo.com. “I’ve showed a little bit more maturity in myself and had a little bit more confidence.

“I’ve been happy with the way I have been playing and I’m really enjoying working under Frank Farina.

“As a team we have started to play better and believe in ourselves and that has rubbed off on me personally.

“I’ve started to feel more comfortable in the first team this season after realising I was no longer one of the young players.

“I’m still only 21 but I’ve been in the first team squad for a few years now and I knew it was time to step up.”

With a nickname like Plugger, it’s hardly surprising he misses out on the florid write-ups flair players and fellow nominees Marco Rojas and Tom Rogic (now disqualified) receive.

But Farina has made good use of the nuggetty defender’s celebrated versatility,  shoe-horning him anywhere along the backline, midfield and wherever they’re a man short.

“(Farina’s arrival) has been pretty big for me,” Grant said

“He’s showed a lot of confidence in me, playing me in a few different positions, and having the belief in me to do so which gives me the confidence to go out on the pitch and perform well.

“I’ve played in probably four or five positions this year so (Plugger) sort of fits – I’m happy to wear it.

“I’ll play wherever the coach needs me. I know a lot of players say that and it’s become a bit of a cliché but I’m just happy to be on the field and playing regularly.”

A member of Sydney’s 2009/10 Premiership and Championship winning squad – although he missed the grand final due to injury – Grant sees plenty of reason for optimism as the team fights for a finals spot.

Currently sitting in eighth, but equal on points with sixth-placed Brisbane Roar who they meet on Sunday at Allianz Stadium, he believes the Sky Blues are starting to build some momentum.

Understrength, they pulled off a 2-2 draw against the Jets last weekend and will again be without new signing Joel Griffiths who was contentiously suspended for three weeks for abusing an official.

Discussing the Griffiths controversy is off-limits, Grant says, but reveals the team is positive heading into the back end of the season. They will need to be, with three of their next four opponents all locked in a desperate battle to make the top six.

Grant said: “This season we’re not playing great at the moment but we’ve still got a sniff there to make the finals.

“We’re starting to come good and it’s starting to look positive especially with the coaching staff and the players that we have we’re definitely capable of making the six and going further.”

As for his own future, the defender says he’s in the right place at the right time.

“I love this club,” he said. “I’ve been here for a while, it’s definitely home for me.

“Obviously every young footballer would love to go overseas but I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’ll just wait until the timing’s right and when I’m capable of doing so.

“At the moment I’m happy playing in the A-League. It’s a great lifestyle and a very good league that’s always improving.

“I’m definitely happy to stay in Sydney for as long as I can and then see what happens from there.”

Grant is the latest nominee for the annual award, joining Marco Rojas and Craig Goodwin in the running for the $10,000 personal investment portfolio. A $3,000 equipment pack will be presented to Grant’s boyhood football club, Churches United, in Bathurst.