Is this Gold Coast football’s next Socceroo? Meet 15-year-old Jack Pirone

Gold Coast’s next great football hope has emerged.

GOLD Coast’s next great football hope has emerged, with Jack Pirone selected for Australia’s under-15 squad for the AFF Championships in Thailand.

The Gold Coast United player is the sole representative from a Queensland National Premier Leagues club to make the 23-player squad that heads to Narrabeen for a brief training camp before leaving for the Asian tournament later this month.

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR FULL ON FOOTY NEWSLETTER

Gold Coast United football player Jack Pirone. Picture: SUPPLIED

This represents the start of the journey to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2021 for this group of Joeys, with Australia taking on the hosts as well as Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam in Group B of the competition in Thailand.

Coach of the squad Trevor Morgan confirmed that, “with a minimum of five and up to seven international matches over the two weeks of the tournament”, the AFF Championship will give players a great introduction to international football.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR $1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 12 WEEKS

Benowa High School student Pirone, 15, played his junior football with Surfers Paradise Apollo before entering the NPL system with Gold Coast City.

A member of Gold Coast United’s 2018 under-14 squad that clinched the NPL premiership, he was one of seven United players selected in this year’s under-15 Queensland squad.

Pirone tops the scoring charts for Stue Hallam’s under-15 United squad with 12 goals from 16 appearances.

“Jack has rare qualities as a footballer,” Hallam said.

“There’s an edge about his play in the front third that makes him a constant threat, a combination of creativity, good touch, an explosive change of pace and an absolute belief in his own ability.

“You add this to a great left foot, an awareness of space and he’s very difficult to defend against.”