Pim Verbeek has named three potential debutants in his 22-man squad for the Socceroos clash with Ireland next Wednesday.
Most Australian’s will be familiar with former Perth Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya, but the names Oliver Bozanic and Aaron Mooy may have a few people scratching their heads and asking who?
Here’s a quick rundown of the latest youngsters to burst in to the national squad.
Aaron Mooy
18 year-old Mooy is an exciting midfield prospect playing his football with English club Bolton Wanderers. Mooy relocated to the club as a 14 year-old after he was spotted while playing in Australia.
His selection is the most surprising of the three possible debutants and it comes after recently catching the eye of Pim Verbeek with a strong showing for the Young Socceroos.
He shone in the prestigious Terborg Toernooi tournament in Holland winning the player of the tournament award as the side finished third.
Mooy has also been making progress at club level, finishing last season as a member of the reserve side after stepping up from the academy side. In 2009/10 he is expected to be a key member of the reserves side and also push for a spot in the first team squad.
Bolton Academy boss Peter Farrell has recently described the 18 year-old as “a tremendous footballer” who “oozes class” and believes that he “stands out because of his technical ability and awareness on the ball.”
Oliver Bozanic
Some may remember 20 year-old Bozanic from his short pre-season stint with the Central Coast Mariners in 2006 but he is another who has been hiding in England for the past few seasons.
The son of former Socceroo Vic, who won four caps, Oliver signed for Reading in January of 2007 and since joining the club has been loaned to Woking and is currently loaned out to Cheltenham Town for the upcoming season.
Bozanic plays as an attacking midfielder mostly on the left side and is quickly gaining a reputation in England. After recently acquiring Bozanic on loan, Cheltenham Town boss Martin Allen described him as “a tidy left-sided player, he’s got good feed, is quite quick, gets good crosses in, can pass the ball and gives balance to the left.”
Capped eight times for the Young Socceroos, Bozanic also doesn’t mind a goal, scoring twice in his 18 game stint at Woking last season.
Nikita Rukavytsya
After making his name at Perth Glory, Rukavytsya has recently transferred to Dutch top league side FC Twente where he is managed by former England boss Steve McLaren.
The 22 year-old who also represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, recently made his Champions League debut for the Dutch club against Sporting Lisbon and could be the answer to the Socceroos lack of speed up front with his excellent acceleration.
Rukavytsya will be hoping his move to Holland will pay dividends with a seat on the plane to South Africa next year for the World Cup. He believes “if I can break through this year then I’m a chance because it would be a big step for me to be a first teamer at such a good club as Twente.”
After scoring on 16 occasions in his 42 Perth Glory appearances, Rukavytsya has already been on the score sheet for Twente and has been playing most of his football as a left-sided striker.
The Socceroos take on Ireland on Wednesday the 12th of August and even if the three youngsters don’t take to the field, the experience of being around the squad will be priceless.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Central Coast sit second behind Wellington, and a victory over Adelaide will see them finish the regular season on top of the ladder.
Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Central Coast Mariners' star striker Angel Torres has been stood down from playing in the A-League Men after he was charged with sexual assault. …
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
The Mariners must deal with possibly their toughest challenge yet - Kyrgyzstan’s FK Abdysh-Ata Kant in the first leg of the semifinal.
