After scoring his first ever goal as a professional, a stunning late equaliser against his old club Melbourne Victory which grabbed United a share of the points at the death, he had every right to be.

It's been a difficult season for the Glitter Strip club. Injuries, suspensions, dubious red cards, questionable penalties and even plain bad luck have all conspired against them, and so any fleeting moment of joy is understandably jumped upon.

They still sit in last place on the ladder, but their football and their never-say-die character suggest they're a club still fighting for a finals spot.

In Thwaite's mind, they are. The 28-year-old is their talisman, defensive lynchpin and heartbeat.

But as the season draws closer to an inevitable conclusion, Gold Coast's chances of keeping him are dropping by the minute.

One of few senior foundation players left on the Coast, Thwaite is in love with the club, delighted to be living in the area, and with a second child on the way, he wants to stay there long-term.

"You can see that in how I play and my attitude every game. It's been like that for the last three years at the club," he told Sportal.

Which makes United's tardiness in terms of re-signing their senior players - including their skipper, whose three-year deal expires in April - even harder to stomach, for both fans and players.

"My loyalties definitely lie with Gold Coast United," he said, "But until there's something on paper I can't really commit myself to staying here."

Talks are underway between Thwaite and the club over an extension, he confirmed, but nothing has been put on paper yet.

However, with rival clubs within the A-League and overseas chasing his signature, time is of the essence.

"I've spoken with Miron about what Clive Palmer's ideas are but it's all verbal," he said, before adding hopefully: "But that's how any negotiation starts.

"Obviously you don't put it down on paper straight away, there's a discussion first and that goes across the board with all A-League clubs."

The in-form stopper also said a newspaper report that claimed United was to put off all contract discussions until the end of the season was the first he'd heard of such a development.

But given all the off-field uncertainty, it's easy to forget the club has a football match on Monday - a vitally important one, too, if they're ever to jump off the bottom of the ladder.

Gold Coast sit five points adrift of their nearest rivals and nine points away from the top six, but Thwaite insists there is still plenty to play for this season.

Their next opponents, Perth Glory, are an example of what can happen in the A-League when a team strings a few wins together, he said.

"There was talk just a month ago about Ian Ferguson and his job. That's the beauty of the A-League," he said.

"If you put two wins together, you're close to the top six. It's the same situation as us. Teams will go on a stretch of wins and then a stretch of losses.

"You've just got to take advantage of your home form initially, and then take whatever you can away."