On Saturday January 10, Callum Elder was thrown into the football cauldron. Two and a half months later, the Manly United junior is certainly on fire.
It started just two days earlier when League Two outfit Mansfield Town came calling, offering Elder a loan deal – the product of a standout season for Leicester City’s under 21s.
The then 19-year-old was given 48 hours to prepare for his full professional debut, against a Burton Albion side that was flying high in second at the time and is now destined for promotion.
Meanwhile, Mansfield were mired in a relegation battle and in the process of a mid-season revolution. It meant Elder would have no time to dip his feet in the water. He was called to start for the Stags, along with five other new faces, just two days after meeting his new teammates.
It was a daunting task he accepted with aplomb.
“It was a massive eye opener, I was thrown straight into the team, along with a number of other changes that day,” Elder told The Roar.
“It was a big shock, being in League Two, but I’ve quickly grown into it and I’m really enjoying it and expressing myself in the league.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to sign when they offered me the loan was the genuine interest they’ve shown in me for large parts of this season and the back half of last season.
“Also the fact that they’ve shown faith to play me every week at a young age, because it was a difficult time when I signed. They weren’t many points off the [relegation] playoffs and at one point in the early stages of my loan we dropped into the relegation zone… I’d like to feel I’m repaying that faith with my performances.”
Since that day, Elder, who hails from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, has made himself at home at fullback for Mansfield, already making 14 appearances this year.
Three-day turnarounds, crowds in the thousands and a battle for survival certainly a world away from the under 21s Premier League.
But it’s Elder’s time at parent club Leicester, where he joined as a 16-year-old, that moulded him into the kind of attacking defender that is seemingly in vogue today.
“Leicester is a great setup, the whole club is taken very seriously, there is a real competitive environment that’s been developed in the Under 21s there,” he said.
“The league is great, to be playing top teams week in, week out and then to be involved in the Premier League International Cup, I played the likes of Schalke and Benfica at the end of last year, which was another great experience playing against European teams in our stadium.
“I’ve been here a while now, long enough to adjust to the style of play, but I think it compliments my style. I’m an attacking kind of fullback, I love to get forward, affect the game high up the pitch and bring a sort of athleticism to the position.”
Elder’s switch to England appeared to pay dividends quite early on. He was named in Paul Okon’s squad for the AFC Under-19 Championship qualifiers in 2013, making his international debut in a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei – a match in which a certain Christopher Ikonomidis scored a brace.
But that appearance has proved an unfortunate anomaly for Elder, who was overlooked for last year’s ASEAN Football Federation Under-19 Championships in Vietnam.
The omission has only made the 20-year-old more determined to put himself in the Olyroos window over the coming years.
“I wasn’t called up to the last international fixtures with the team, which was a massive disappointment for me, because I feel like I’m doing everything I can over here.
“I’m proving that I can play in a first team and play with men and play in front of crowds and not be fazed by that.
“I’m working hard over here, I’m doing everything I can and I think I’m showing that I’m putting my best foot forward to receive international call ups.”
Elder only need look south for inspiration. Asian Cup star Massimo Luongo followed a similar path, having been loaned out from Tottenham to Ipswich and then Swindon, eventually signing a permanent deal with the latter and never looking back.
“I think it shows that he’s playing league football and was a star performer for the national team at the Asian Cup. I think it gives me a parallel to the rest of Australia and to the setup back home, that if that’s the level he’s performing at…
“Maybe it’s hard for them to compare playing back home as opposed to the lower leagues, but I feel like I’m in a different situation, because most of the lads playing in the lower leagues (in England) from Australia are experienced pros now.”
Mansfield boss Adam Murray has certainly been impressed by his loanee, labelling Elder “possibly the best left-back at under-21 level” in the Midlands. Having seized his opportunity this season, and armed with a fierce desire to succeed, it’s clear this Aussie is just getting started.
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