Jets veteran Jason Hoffman waiting in anticipation to learn who new coach will be

But if the 34-year-old veteran was to be asked for his opinion, he would be more than happy to vouch for two candidates rumoured to be on the short list: Gary van Egmond and Ruben Zadkovich.

Hoffman, who confirmed on Thursday that he had re-signed for another season with his home-town club, kicked off his A-League career under van Egmond 17 years ago.

He played alongside Zadkovich in Australian under-age teams and against him at A-League level.

The Jets are understood to have been inundated with applications since it was announced on Monday that Arthur Papas had resigned after a two-year tenure.

Hoffman, who has played in a record 211 A-League games for Newcastle, was confident the powers-that-be would choose a capable replacement.

"That's a decision the management are taking upon themselves, which is fair enough," he said. "Obviously as a player you have to focus on playing, first and foremost.

"The only insight I've had is that the club showed me, and other players, the courtesy of letting us know that Arthur had moved on before it was released publicly.

"As for the hiring of the new coach, we're all waiting with anticipation to learn who it might be. Myself personally, I haven't been consulted about who's in line for the role.

"But it sounds like the club have a few candidates in mind, and whoever is successful will have the support of the playing group.

"We'll be willing to work hard for whoever that is."

Van Egmond, currently employed as coach of the Jets' women's team and academy, is Newcastle's longest-serving A-League mentor, overseeing 129 games in two stints.

That included the club's only grand final victory, in 2008, in which Hoffman came off the bench as a second-half substitute.

Asked for his thoughts about the possibility of the 57-year-old making a return, Hoffman replied: "Gary is someone who gave me my first opportunity in the professional game.

"To have him back as a coach, if the club decided to go that way, I think it would be a positive to work with him as both a young player and as a senior player.

"I'll be forever grateful to Gary for giving me my first opportunity.

"And obviously that was a very successful time for the club, because we won our first championship under Gary. I've certainly got very fond memories of his time as my coach."

He was also enthusiastic about the prospect of working with Zadkovich, who played four seasons with the Jets, captained the club, coached Broadmeadow Magic to a Northern NSW NPL championship and spent the past season-and-a-half in the hot seat at Perth Glory, before recently resigning.

"Obviously Ruben is someone whose name has been mentioned," Hoffman said.

"He's someone with a strong connection to the Newcastle community.

"If he was successful and the club was to appoint him, I believe he'd have a lot of support ... if the club was to appoint someone like Ruben, as a player I'd embrace that.

"But as players we have to embrace whoever the successful candidate is."

Hoffman said he was "extremely proud" to be back on deck for an 18th A-League season, and is confident it will not be his last.

"I'm not planning for it to end soon," he said. "Physically and mentally I still feel like I have a lot of value to add on the field ... I'm still hungry to bring success to the football club."

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