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Opinion
The World Cup is the most prestigious of tournaments in football.
Some may argue that the European Champions League produces the best football alongside some domestic cups in Europe, but nothing can match the pride, passion and electricity generated from a World Cup campaign on any player, coach or nation.
Stars have been uncovered and careers have been defined by World Cup success.
Whilst tournaments can result in lacklustre moves and talent deception, we ignore these facts for a month to only think of golden generations and bright futures. As the Socceroos mount another world footballing expedition in only 100 days, here are some young stars in the making wh should be on that plane to Qatar.
Players’ ages are in brackets.
Cameron Devlin (24)
You’d probably be surprised to find out that Devlin, the 24-year-old midfielder who plays week-in and week-out for Scottish Premiership side Hearts, is still uncapped at senior international level.
His ability to transition quickly from defence to attack for a Wellington Phoenix that relied on dynamic counter attacking play drew plenty of interest from mainland A-League sides as well as European admirers. His move to Hearts went under the radar as it immediately followed him signing on for the Newcastle Jets in 2021.
Perhaps the gravity of this move to Hearts was lost in the frantic Covid-ridden world at the time, but he has since become an integral part of a side that finished third behind the Rangers and Celtic in the season just gone.
With Hearts starting well again this season, Devlin has more than earned a cap for his country and deserves a tournament to show what he can do. Whilst his lack of involvement thus far in international football could imply how strong the Australian midfield is in 2022, I’d be booking his seat in place of Gianni Stensness or Kenny Dougall considering the quality of football he’s been playing as of late.
Tyrese Francois (22)
Tyrese Francois, who was impressive at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and recent U23 Asian Cup, simply must be involved in the Socceroos sooner rather than later in order to consolidate the status of a player capable of great things. The Fulham youngster is considered a talent by his London-based club after being handed a two-year extension just this year.
The lack of senior football may concern some fans and selectors, however, the faith given to the Campbelltown local in the form of this new deal speaks volumes about the talent Francois is seen to possess.
As previously mentioned, the Socceroos midfield is currently full of European-based talent, however with Dougall only playing a bit-part role at Blackpool and Stensness playing in Norway (a far weaker league than the English top flight), Francois should be considered as an option.
If his appearance off the bench against Liverpool, whilst brief, can become consistent up until the final squads are announced, the pedigree of the Premier League should get him over the line with passport intact. Francois could be selected for England in the future if he emerges as a world-beater.
It’s safer to lock him up whilst he’s young and bursting with enthusiasm.
Marco Tilio (20)
Obvious to most but still worth a mention. The Melbourne City youngster has already established himself as a bright young star in the A-Leagues, winning the double in 2020-21 and scoring in a famous Olympic win against Argentina via a spectacular effort from outside the area.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Tilio is almost guaranteed a spot in the World Cup squad due to his meteoric rise to prominence down under. He is quick, explosive and possesses all the skill to play at the highest levels. With the ability to score in clutch situations and to create space providing assists to his teammates, Tilio is more than ready to fulfil a role and his potential is limitless.
An impressive performance in Qatar would surely see him secure a move to Europe and at 20, the earlier he can be tested against the best opposition available the better.
The Melbourne City starlet would surely be a great bench option for the Socceroos and should be allowed to express himself in short, sharp and well-timed spells in the Arabian Gulf come November.
Garang Kuol (17)
Young, raw and hungry, the Central Coast youth product experienced a meteoric rise to A-League prominence in back end of the 2021-22 season, contributing four goals and an assist as the Mariners launched an exciting finals campaign.
Whilst he has only played a total of 145 minutes of professional football, the younger brother of former Mariner and current Stuttgart player Alou Kuol has excited many fans in Australia, being invited to the Talent ID match within the national team framework earlier this month.
His end-of-season glory run saw fans vote him into the A-League All Stars match against Barcelona, in which he managed to dazzle the Spanish giants’ defence on more than one occasion off the bench. Yes, Kuol needs quality first team minutes to catch the eye of Graham Arnold and win the trust of Socceroos fans and selectors.
He would be the youngest Socceroo to play in a World Cup since Macarthur’s new signing, Daniel Arzani. If Kuol starts well in a Mariners jersey between October and November, Graham Arnold may select the youngster to turn some heads in Qatar.
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