A CHANCE meeting between a French footballer wedding guest and a football agent could be the perfect match for one A-League club.

Ritchie Hinton, of Elite Sports Properties in Melbourne, recently met 23-year-old French midfielder Jonathan Bru by chance while he was in the southern capital for his brother's wedding to an Australian girl.

As it turned out, the player was looking for a club. What's more, says Hinton, Bru has represented France at all levels except senior, and is a graduate of the country's respected Clarefontaine football academy.

Bru also played for France at the prestigious Tournoi Espoirs de Toulon (Toulon Tournament) in 2005, says the agent.

Hinton contacted Lawrie McKinna at Central Coast and the player is now currently trialing with the A-League club. The Frenchman is expected to turn out in a trial match on Thursday for the Mariners' youth team in Sydney.

"Fergie [assistant coach Ian Ferguson] said he's got some good touch on the ball and he's one of those players who likes some angled passes and looks to switch the play," McKinna told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Added Hinton: "He hasn't had a pre-season and there are no guarantees with these things, but with Ahmad Elrich's untimely injury, this may just be a lucky turn of events for player and club. Who knows?"

During the European off-season, Bru is said to have trained with Charlton Athletic and turned down offers in France to stay with the English Championship club. When a contract didn't materialise with the Addicks, he was left club-less.

It was then that a trip to Australia came up, as Hinton explains. "His brother married an Aussie girl so he came over here for the wedding. That's how I met him.

"Occasionally things like this just pop up… players with really good pedigree who could be available and are clearly good enough… Look at Song at Newcastle.

"He really shouldn't be here but he saw it as a way to improve his English and perhaps move onto Europe."

If Bru can have a similar impact in the A-League as Song has just up the F3, Mariners fans will be thanking their lucky stars for that chance meeting in Melbourne.