Central Coast manager Nick Montgomery uncovers secrets behind Mariners' A-League grand final win

Central Coast Mariners manager Nick Montgomery looks for three key qualities when he signs footballers - they must be hardworking, respectful to their teammates and humble.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia almost a week after his team's stunning A-League grand final triumph, the 41-year-old also revealed how he successfully turned around the club's fortunes after establishing an Academy four years ago.

And he needed to, given the Mariners had collected three wooden spoons and were dubbed in some quarters the 'worst professional team in Australian sport.'

'At the time I had a few offers to go back and coach in England, but I felt setting up the Academy program was more important,' Montgomery said.

'Seeing the likes of Max Balard, Josh Nisbet, Garang Kuol and Jacob Farrell prove themselves in our youth team before I played them in the A-League has been fantastic.

'We don't have the budgets of other clubs, so we have to think outside the box in terms of recruitment.