The phrase “a bright future” has been used so much within the Australian football community that it’s almost cliched.
However, the technical and attacking prowess that the next generation of Aussie hopefuls have so far showcased have caused this writer to excitedly proclaim that the future does indeed look bright.
Tim Cahill is arguably the best performer in the green and gold this country has produced. Many are expecting the curtain to fully close down after the Asia Cup this January, but there is still some bright light peeping through the small chink that is remaining in this man’s illustrious career.
Australia’s highest ever goal scorer was still at Sydney Olympic in the old NSL when he was 17 while some of the current talent coming through is at clubs such as Liverpool, Newcastle and Udinese.
This is a starting XI of what could potentially be the starting XI of the 2026 World Cup in a 4-2-3-1 formation that us Aussies have used quite frequently in recent memory.
Mat Ryan
(Club Brugge, Belgium)
Brad Smith Curtis Good Cameron Burgess Alex Gersbach
(Liverpool) (Newcastle Utd) (Fulham, England) (Sydney FC)
Anthony Kalik Jake Brimmer
(CCM) (Liverpool)
Awer Mabil Panos Armenakas Daniel De Silva
(Adelaide United) (Udinese) (Perth Glory/Roma)
Xane Zaineddine
(Watford)
Mat Ryan is the current Australia number one in goals and a string of strong performances in the Belgium Pro League have alerted some of Europe’s top clubs. He was even linked to a shock move to Real Madrid last term. At 22, Ryan has plenty of room for improvement and will be a long lasting #1 in Australian colours.
The defensive four of Smith, Good, Burgess and Gersbach is a promising line of defence that could set up future success for our Socceroos. With players like Smith, Good and Burgess all currently in England, we can only hope that they can get game time and perform in the next few of years.
Gersbach is currently at Sydney FC and Graham Arnold is notorious for his love of throwing young players into the deep end. Gersbach is already getting sizeable gametime for a 17-year-old and could find a European home before the Russia World Cup in 2016.
The CDM pairing of Anthony Kalik and Jake Brimmer is certainly one to watch. Kalik is currently in Gosford under Phil Moss. He is the youngest player to ever sign a A-League contract, but as Ben Kantarovski would know, it does not necessarily guarantee success. Kalik has a long way to go before even being considered for the green and gold.
Jake Brimmer is a 15-year-old at the same Liverpool academy that produced talents like Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling. He showed his set piece talent at the recent series with Chile, Bermuda and the US in Joey colours much to the awe of the Australian football community. He is a definite talent and one that could definitely appear in a Socceroo guernsey in years to come.
The attacking trio of Awer Mabil, Panos Armenakas and Danny De Silva is one of the most technically gifted line Australia could potentially produce.
Mabil has already nailed down a starting position for Adelaide and has pace to burn as well some silky skills in his bag of tricks. The 19-year-old is currently being liked to a move to Dutch giants Ajax.
Panos Armenakas is on the books of Udinese after moving from Watford. He rejected overtures from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United last year. He has Greek affiliation but, has recently spoken of his desire to represent Australia.
Danny De Silva is the name on everybody’s lips at the moment. Currently apart of Kenny Lowe’s rampant Perth Glory side, De silva is showing skills, passing and vision beyond his years. The 17 year old just recently signed a deal with Italian giants AS Roma and will link up with the I Giallorossi at the end of the season.
Xane Zaineddine is another prodigy that everyone seems to be talking about, not just in Australia, but in Europe. Zaineddine has had experience with the Barcelona academy and is currently at Watford in England. He plays predominately in midfield, but can also play up front.
He is leading both the assists and goalscoring the the U16 competition and according to the British Skysports, Real Madrid and EPL giants are monitoring his progress. Zaineddine is yet to commit to his international future, but was born in Australia and will hopefully commit to Ange’s cause in years to come.
The so called ‘Golden Generation’ were still playing in the NSL or even state leagues at the same age as most of these players. Unfulfilled potential is something that always strikes deep into the hearts of football supporters.
These players are all promising but face a tricky journey to becoming successful professional footballers and hopefully, ambassadors for our country.
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