Janko open to offers as Sydney plays waiting game

Marquee marksman Marc Janko revealed his agent is "talking to other cubs" as Sydney FC's hierarchy considers whether to offer the Austria national team skipper an extension beyond this season.

Sydney FC's Marc Janko celebrates scoring a penalty against Melbourne Victory in Round 17 (AAP) Source: AAP

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Towering Janko, who has scored eight A-League goals in 14 games, signed a one-year deal last July and is likely to wait and see what Sydney’s position is before making a definitive decision on his next move.

"I am very comfortable in Sydney, there is no doubt about that," he said. "There are still three or four months to go in the season and I'd like to focus on that.

"Everything else is part of my agent's business. He told me the other day there are some requests from overseas.

"Maybe in the coming weeks and months we can start planning our new year. I don't want to go into too much detail, other than to say we are in talks with several clubs now – and I can't say whether Sydney is among them.

"At the moment, I am opened minded to everything."

Sky Blues CEO Tony Pignata, who has been pre-occupied with signing injury replacement players, is pleased with Janko's input and a new offer has certainly not been ruled out.

"Marc’s been welcome addition to the club and has fitted in well and in due course we will sit down with him and see what options are available next year," Pignata said.

With fifth-placed Sydney facing struggling Central Coast Mariners at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, Janko believes the "character" shown in coming from behind twice to force a 3-3 draw against Melbourne Victory at the weekend is a promising omen for the final 11 games of the regular season.

"We proved in that match that we are still among the teams that should be considered for the title this year," he declared.

"We never gave up and we always believed in ourselves. It was a great piece of work by the boys and I am really proud of the team."

The 31 year-old is convinced there he has more to offer as Graham Arnold’s men gear up for a push towards the top two.

"I think I have more to offer, as the team does also," Janko said.

"You should not forget I had two horrible years in Turkey (where he scored twice in 23 appearances Tronzonspor).

"They rarely let me play and it’s not easy for a professional to recover from that and find your rhythm again.

"It takes time and when I arrived in Australia I was not in great shape at all and that meant it took time to adapt.

"But I am really grateful for the patience club has shown in me, especially our coach Graham Arnold, who has always told me he believed in my skills."

With four goals in his last three appearances, Janko is finding the form that the Sky Blues have been banking on.

"I am close to where I’d like to be – but I know I can do better," Janko said.

"In the first half of the season I hit the woodwork six or seven times.

"But sometimes you have to make your own luck and in the last few games it seems maybe that luck has turned a bit."

Janko welcomed the pressure being exerted by understudy Shane Smeltz, who replaced him off the bench against Victory and promptly scored twice.

"Shane is my roommate and is a great guy on and off the pitch and I am really happy to have him in our team," he said.

"He’s a great character and a great player and he totally deserved his goals against Melbourne."

Despite smashing the Mariners 5-1 in Gosford last month, Janko insisted: "Sometimes these smaller games, with all respect, against opponents from the lower end of the table are the trickiest.

"They say the boxers who have taken a knock can be the most dangerous ones."

Janko must mix national team and Sky Blues commitments, with Austria topping its qualification group for Euro 2016.

"We’re in a great position and to qualify would be a first ever for us," Janko, who bypassed aninternational against Brazil in November to serve Sydney’s cause, said.

"I am proud to be involved with Austria and I will do everything I can to stay in the squad," he said.

"In March (27th and 31st) we games against Liechtenstein and Bosnia-Herzegovina and I will maybe miss up to two games for Sydney.

"My commitment to the national team is something they were aware of when they signed me.

"With the Brazil game, I think I made a move that not everybody would do and I tried to fulfil both sides, but it's not always easy to do that."