Socceroos keeper Mitch Langerak joins Japanese club Nagoya Grampus in hunt for World Cup shirt

AFTER eight years in Europe, Socceroos keeper Mitch Langerak is on the move as young former Victory teen Seb Pasquali makes his European debut.

SOCCEROOS keeper Mitch Langerak has picked Japan as his platform to launch a late bid for the No.1 shirt at June’s FIFA World Cup.

Nagoya Grampus has paid $2.5 million for Langerak, 29, after a short-lived stint in Spain with Levante.

The move ends a European stint of almost eight years for Langerak, which included silverware with Borussia Dortmund and promotion with Vfb Stuttgart last season.

Mitch Langerak has joined Nagoya Grampus. Pic: Mark Evans

Langerak joins a growing Australian contingent in Japan with 2014 World Cup teammate Ben Halloran — he signed for V-Varen Nagasaki last week — and ex-Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou moving to the J.League in time for the 2018 season.

“I am very thrilled to come to Japan now,’’ Langerak told the Nagoya website.

“I heard from players Shinji Kagawa and (Josh) Kennedy that they (Nagoya Grampus) are a big club and I will do my best in order to contribute to the points of the team as much as possible.”

Langerak has won eight Socceroos caps since debuting in 2013, but has been understudy to Brighton’s Mat Ryan.

Former Victory midfielder Seb Pasquali has stepped out with Ajax’s reserves for the first time. Picture: Mark Stewart

MEANWHILE, teenage midfield sensation Sebastian Pasquali made his professional European debut over the weekend with Ajax Amsterdam’s reserves.

Pasquali, 18, started in Ajax’s clash away to Dutch second division leaders Fortuna Sittard playing 58 minutes in the 2-1 loss.

Wearing the no.15 shirt, the former Melbourne Victory player impressed in a deep-lying midfield position and was not flustered by the occasion.

Pasquali quickly adapted to the pace of the game but kept it simple on debut, occasionally dipping into his bag of tricks.

The senior debut is a massive boost for Pasquali, who’s been playing for Ajax’s Under 19 side this season after missing the whole of last season due to red-tape.

Wangaratta-born Pasquali had been an unused sub three times for the reserves before making his debut over the weekend.

A lot of young talents got their chance (official debut) in a higher team this weekend:

Sebastian Pasquali (18) - U21's
Victor Jensen (17) - U21's

Enric Llansana (16) - U19's
Sontje Hansen (15) - U19's

Ki-Jana Hoever (15) - U17's

🆙💫#AjaxYouth #Talents pic.twitter.com/oByEQRjgeU

— AjaxDaily Youth (@ajaxdailydotya) January 14, 2018

It edges Pasquali closer to a senior debut with the four-time European champions, who are noted for promoting academy players into the senior team.

Ajax Jong (reserves), who are coached by club great Michael Reiziger, are third in the Dutch Eerste Divisie (second division) although they can not get promoted to the top tier.

Pasquali was unveiled by Ajax in November 2016, just after his 17th birthday, but despite holding an EU (Italian) passport FIFA did not grant him a clearance until this season.

“We are very pleased that we finally have clearance from the FIFA for Sebastian. Now he is able to play official matches for Ajax. He will start this season in our under 19 squad, the highest youth team,” an Ajax spokesperson told the Herald Sun last August.

Originally published as Socceroos keeper Mitch Langerak joins Japanese club Nagoya Grampus in hunt for World Cup shirt