Ibini tells The World Game:
:: About his love of fashion, earrings and nice cars;
:: How Graham Arnold has helped his career;
:: Why he would love to meet Michael Jordan and Thierry Henry;
:: How he and his ex-Central Coast Mariners team-mates keep in touch;
:: Why his confidence as a player is building;
:: Who he would choose to dine with: Lionel Messi or a supermodel.
TWG: It seems you're big on fashion. Where do you buy your clothes?
BI: I normally buy a lot of my clothes from Culture Kings or online - baseball Ts, baseball caps, basketball caps, that sort of thing - but I like a good suit as well. I try to always have a few in my wardrobe so I can always change it up. I've got the club suit, which is the Arthur Galan brand and which I like a lot, and then I've got a few from Politix as well.
TWG: The basketball T-shirts and caps. Is it more about the look or are there particular teams or players that you follow?
BI: It's more how it looks. Even if it was a player's name I didn't even know, if I thought it looked good I'd still wear it. But as far as a team is concerned, in the NBA it would be Oklahoma Thunder - Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook. I like watching the basketball. I'm often training at the same time as it's on TV but if we have a day off and I'm just relaxing at home and the basketball's on, I'll be watching it.
TWG: What about your diamond earrings? Have you ever forgotten to take them out before a game and had to be reminded by a referee or a referee's assistant?
BI: Luckily enough, when that has happened it's been one of my team-mates who has told me. I have forgotten sometimes but one of the boys in the changeroom has said 'Bernie, you've still got your earrings in' and I've said 'Oh my God, thanks'. It's easy to forget, but the boys have told me before we've lined up to go out on the field.
TWG: That sort of ear wear would be expensive, would it?
BI: Yeah, those ones are expensive but I've got some other earrings that I just wear all the time.
TWG: I'm told you drive a big car with blacked-out windows. Is that right?
BI: Yeah, I've got a Chrysler 300C with white paint and black rims and my windows are blacked out as well, so people can't really see in. I like nice cars.
TWG: Graham Arnold. You were coached by him at Central Coast Mariners and now at Sydney FC. How do view him - as a friend, a father-figure, or is he a coach you secretly hate?
BI: (Laughs). I wouldn't say I secretly hate him. He's my coach and someone who has helped my career a lot. Every time I've worked with him it's been very enjoyable and I've had a lot of success under him as well. We've got a great working relationship and I'm very comfortable playing under him.
TWG: Your sister, Princess, plays for the Young Matildas. Did she get the football bug off you?
BI: I guess so. I'm the eldest child in my family and I think my sister and my brothers all got the bug off me, because growing up that's all they would have seen, my parents taking me to football.
TWG: (Sydney FC goalkeeper) Vedran Janjetovic is one of your good mates, I understand. That smoke from the flares didn't help him in the Sydney derby last week, did it? What was it like out there at the time?
BI: I don't think it helped anyone, to be honest. It was a bit difficult for a few moments but once they got rid of the flare from behind the goal I didn't take any more notice. I was so much into the game it didn't really bother me.
TWG: (Socceroos goalkeeper) Mat Ryan is another of your good mates. How do you two keep in touch, with him playing in Belgium?
BI: We always text or call just to see how each other is going. No emails, I think we're a bit young for emails (laughs).
TWG: You two developed together at Central Coast. Do you still have a lot of friends from there?
BI: Yeah, I do. If you look at their team now there are quite a few boys I still keep in contact with and catch up with regularly, as well as some boys who are no longer there.
TWG: Your playing style is becoming quite developed now, particularly if you get a bit of space down the right-hand side. You look to have the confidence to run the ball, come back inside and take the full-back and central defenders on. You look very comfortable and confident doing that. Is that how it feels?
BI: Yeah, once you do it a few times and it comes off, your confidence builds. If it creates a scoring chance for you or someone else, you continue to do it and, like you said, if I get that space - because it's not always there - I do like to have a go and see what will happen.
TWG: That brings you back on to your left foot. Are you comfortable shooting with either foot?
BI: Yeah, I'm comfortable. I think, if I look at it, I probably score more goals off my left foot than my right, to be honest. I'm a natural right-footer but I'm comfortable with both.
TWG: If you had your choice, who in the world would you like to meet?
BI: Oh, that's a tough question ... I'd like to meet Michael Jordan and Thierry Henry. They're two of my favourites from growing up. Jordan, his story, the way he was such a great basketballer and what he's doing now as well. He's no longer playing but he's got a massive shoe range and clothing range and stuff like that. And Henry was my favourite player growing up, just the way he could do everything. He could dribble, he could score, he could score with his head as well. It was just everything about him. I used to love watching him play.
TWG: And where in the world would you most like to go?
BI: I've been to the US before but I'd definitely like to go back there and have a better look. Visit a few different parts of the country from a holiday perspective and take it all in.
TWG: Finally, you've got the choice of dinner with either Lionel Messi or a supermodel. What are you going to do?
BI: Definitely a supermodel.
TWG: We'll leave it at that, champion. No need to explain.
BI: (Laughs). Yeah, no problem. Cheers.
