‘In the deep end with bricks on his feet’: How to create future Socceroos

Ruben Zadkovich has made his intentions clear: no man under his tutelage would be coddled.

Why? Because he sees the future backbone of the Socceroos in Roar colours.

The Brisbane coach was a passionate figure at the club’s A-League season launch, speaking of building a culture that would breed from within Queensland.

Brisbane Roar Men’s Head Coach, Ruben Zadkovich.Credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The three-time Socceroo talked of putting pressure on his rising stars to make diamonds, adamant they would need to endure a trial by fire to succeed.

Among them was 17-year-old Lucas Herrington, who Zadkovich declared was “the best defender in Australian football right now” who had the “highest ceiling of anyone”.

As for striker Thomas Waddingham, the coach believed he could be on the cusp of featuring under his former Sydney FC teammate – and now Australia coach – Tony Popovic.

The Roar fended off interest “from some of the biggest leagues in the world” to keep the 19-year-old, with Zadkovich wary of his teen sensation making an overseas move “at the right time to the right club”.

Having discussed Waddingham’s trajectory with former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold – on the back of a season in which he equalled Brisbane’s top goalscorer mark with seven – the Brisbane boss took a different philosophy to the mentality others might have.

Lucas Herrington has been lauded as the “best defender” in Australia by Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich.Credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“We put as much pressure and stress as we can on him and see how he copes, and try to keep him in the deep end where he’s got bricks on his feet, and he’s struggling to stay afloat,” Zadkovich said.

“We want him to go to the highest level, and to do that he’s got to work really hard, and be able to handle himself in tough situations.

“He’s definitely on that [Socceroos] trajectory, but I would say there’s a few higher-calibre players like Adam Taggart who are in front of him and won’t give up their jersey very easily.

“Hence the reason why we’re hard on Tommy.”

To help educate Waddingham and his fellow teenagers, Zadkovich called on 2014 World Cup Socceroo Ben Halloran, who returned to Brisbane for the first time in 11 years.

While the 32-year-old stressed Zadkovich’s approach to Waddington was with a “supportive dad” energy, he had seen enough from the youngster to suggest a breakout campaign was imminent, provided he responded to the harsh methods.

Ben Halloran, Lucas Herrington and Jay O’Shea of the Brisbane Roar.Credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“We love getting really excited about a player and say he’s going to be the next Mark Viduka. But I think within this team and environment we have to know to bring him back down to earth,” Halloran said.

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He has that No.9 instinct, and as a player to move on to the next level you need a weapon.

“He’s got that ability to have his back to goal, and then just turn onto his left and whip it really quickly – he always knows where the goal is.”