These are the five young stars Australian football needs to lock in before they are snatched from other nations

They are some of the brightest talents in a decade but some of our future Socceroos stars are at risk of being stolen by rival nations keen to raid Australia’s junior ranks. SEE WHO THEY ARE.

Alex Robertson, pictured at Maroubra Beach in Sydney, plays his football at EPL side Manchester City. Picture: John Feder

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It’s a footballing tug of war with huge ramifications for the future of the Socceroos.

Not since the days when the likes of Australian-born Josip Simunic defected to Croatia in the early 2000s have the Socceroos been at risk of losing such a swathe of talent.

These are five of the brightest talents who might one day wear the green and gold, but who are being courted by other countries. They are the kids Australia can’t afford to miss out on.

Scroll down to see the list.

Australia’s youth stocks have apparently never been thinner and the Olyroos’ 1-1 draw against Iraq on match day one of the AFC U23 Championships was a sharp wake-up call for where the country stands in ­finding the next Kewell, Viduka or Schwarzer.

The Olyroos’ quest to end a 12-year hiatus from the Olympic Games has put the development of brilliant young talent into sharp focus.

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Young Australian footballers Alex Robertson (centre) and (clockwise from top left) Liam Chipperfield, Murray Miller, Zak Gilsenan and Antonis Martis.

The crisis means Australia cannot afford to miss out on any would-be star, which is why coaches and officials from Football Federation Australia have scoured the globe for talents with an Australian heritage that might make them answer the call of the green and gold.

As frustration grows among fans and pundits about the performances of Australians youth teams at international level, part of the answer is a form of footballing ­guerrilla warfare.

In the early 2000s Australian-born trio Suminic, Anthony Seric and Joey Didulica were all persuaded to represent Croatia instead of their homeland.

Rugged defender Simunic was capped 105 times at national level from 2001 to 2013 and, having starting his professional career at the Melbourne Knights, went on to have a 17-year career in Europe with teams like Hamburger and Hoffenheim in Germany, and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

Josip Suminic brings down Socceroos striker Mark Viduka while representing Croatia at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 Group. Picture: Getty Images

How the Socceroos could have done with Simunic for their ill-fated World Cup qualifier against Uruguary in 2001, or in the 2006 tournament in Germany.

At the Socceroos level since 2013, eight players have made appearances for different countries at youth level before being persuaded to throw in their lot with Australia.

As coach of both the Socceroos and the Olyroos, Graham Arnold says that qualification to the Olympics can create six to seven players for the senior national team. But Australia’s failure to qualify as Olympians has meant national team stocks are at their weakest in years.

You probably haven’t seen these names play on Australian shores before, but these five stars, that Australia can’t afford to lose, need to be brought into the green and gold family.

ALEX ROBERTSON

Age: 16

Club: Manchester City

Position: Midfielder

He could potentially be a third-generation Socceroo after his father and grandfather, but Alex Robertson is on the precipice of joining England.

The youngster has scored three goals for Manchester City’s U18s who are top of the youth league.

Graham Arnold launched an offensive to charm the youngster to join Australia last year, inviting him to train with the Socceroos at 15 years old. Robertson was recently picked for England U16s.

Alex Robertson, pictured at Maroubra Beach in Sydney, plays his football at EPL side Manchester City. Picture: John Feder

ZAK GILSENAN

Age: 16

Club: Blackburn Rovers

Position: Winger

How many Aussies can say they’ve played for Barcelona and Liverpool’s academy?

Born in Ireland, and briefly a part of Perth Glory’s youth stocks, this Aussie youngster, once dubbed “The Irish Messi” caught the world’s attention when he jetted off to La Masia after scoring seven goals in a trial match when he was nine.

Joeys coach Trevor Morgan swooped in to get Gilsenan involved in his pre-U17 World Cup friendlies late last year.

LIAM CHIPPERFIELD

Age: 15

Club: FC Basel

Position: Attacking midfielder

His father, Scott, is a golden generation Socceroo — but Liam Chipperfield’s calling could be to Switzerland rather than his father’s beloved Australia.

Chipperfield has been at the Swiss powerhouse FC Basel since he was eight and was running riot for their U16s side last season scoring or assisting almost every week.

There aren’t many 15-year-olds in Basel’s U18s team, but Chipperfield has already represented and scored for Switzerland U15s and U17s.

Murray Miller has excelled at the Rangers.

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MURRAY MILLER

Age: 17

Club: Rangers

Position: Central midfielder

You can thank Joeys coach Trevor Morgan if Rangers starlet Murray Miller decides to play for Australia, because he rang the Miller home phone. Miller was born in Australia but moved to Scotland at a young age.

He linked up with Rangers and has excelled, including in the UEFA Youth League.

Morgan drafted the tenacious midfielder into his pre-World Cup friendlies where he impressed, surprisingly making appearances against England and South Korea.

ANTONIS MARTIS

Age: 19

Club: FC Midtjylland

Position: Defensive midfielder

Antonis Martis captained Australia at the AFC U16 Championships after trialling with Manchester City and Tottenham in 2016.

But since he signed a deal to join FC Midtjylland in Denmark, Martis has gone on to play more than seven matches for Cypriot youth national teams.

The Cyprus-born and southwest Sydney-raised midfielder has gone toe-to-toe with young stars in the UEFA Youth League, and against teams like Porto and Manchester United.

Originally published as These are the five young stars Australian football needs to lock in before they are snatched from other nations