Socceroos v Oman, Japan: local junior NSW clubs behind Australian soccer guns
Junior clubs from western Sydney, the inner south, northern beaches, the Hills, north shore, the Shire and in regional NSW have helped produce our latest crop of Socceroos. LIST.
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One state has produced more players in the latest Socceroos squad named with 10 players hailing from NSW.
A squad of 25 players has been selected for the Socceroos October qualifies in Qatar and Japan with the squad boasting 23 overseas-based players.
The team is also hopeful of playing AFC Asian qualifies matches in Sydney in November after the Matildas were able to confirm a two-match series at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on October 23 and 26.
We look at the junior clubs which helped mould the NSW players in the Socceroos.
BLACKTOWN CITY FC
Blacktown City FC has the most representatives with Milos Degenek, now diagnosed with Covid, and Mathew Ryan hailing from the well known Sydney club.
The club in Sydney’s west was founded in 1953 and has its home ground at Seven Hills.
MASCOT VIPERS
The Mascot Vipers Futsal club is where Daniel Arzani honed his skills.
A club located in the inner south, an area best known for producing rugby league players.
The Vipers were originally founded as Indoor Central but later rebranded.
LIVERPOOL RANGERS FC
Mitchell Duke played his junior footy with the Liverpool Rangers FC
Duke hails from western Sydney with the club based at Liverpool, an area well known for its love and support of football.
MANLY UNITED FC
Callum Elder hails from Manly United FC which is well known for its strong pathway for young footballers, both men and women.
Their home ground is at Cromer Park and former Socceroos captain Lucas Neill played for the club as a junior.
CANOWINDRA JUNIORS/BATHURST 75
Country boy Rhyan Grant grew up in the tiny town of Canowindra, not far from Cowra, in the central west NSW.
He then played his representative football with Bathurst 75, a club established in 1975.
CRONULLA RSL SINGRAYS FC
Chris Ikonomidis played at the Stingrays.
The club fielded its first team back in 1960 and has a home ground at Solander Oval.
CARLINGFORD REDBACKS FC
Aaron Mooy played his junior footy with the Redbacks.
The soccer club based in West Pennant Hills started as West Epping soccer club.
The Redbacks name came into being in 2008 and the club draws from areas including Beecroft, Pennant Hills, West Pennant Hills and Epping.
WINSTON HILLS BEARS FC
Socceroo Lawrence Thomas started here.
The club is one of the largest in the Hills area of Sydney and has been part of the new Hills Football Association since it began in 2017.
Games are played at various locations, including Winston Hills, Toongabbie, Northmead and Baulkham Hills
ST CLAIR UNITED SC
Danny Vukovic belonged to St Clair United.
The club was established back in 1979 and has more than 60 teams currently from juniors to over 35’s. It is one of the largest clubs in the Nepean district.
Read more from AMANDA LULHAM HERE
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