Gold Coast United defender Bas van den Brink has hardly figured so far this season after being Mr Dependable in the club's freshman year.

The Dutch centre-half has featured just once in the 2010/11 season and is desperate to regain his place in Miron Bleiberg's line-up as he feels he is at the peak of his powers.

"I feel I'm at the peak of my career age-wise and fitness-wise and I want to be playing," he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

"I'm working harder than ever to prove the coach wrong for leaving me out and it's extremely frustrating and hard to mentally deal with it a little bit. "I'm think I'm good enough to be in the starting line-up but it's not my call.

"I'm staying positive and keeping the faith that if I do well at training then things might swing back in my favour.

"I want to get back involved again for the right reasons and I'm not hoping that one of the other players gets injured."

The former FC Omniworld man comes off contract at the end of the season and he admits he may have to look elsewhere if things don't change.

"While I'll do everything I can to get back into the side, if it doesn't happen then of course I have to look elsewhere," he added.

"But I'm trying not to think too much about that. I want to concentrate on the moment not what's around the corner."