Words: Staff Writers

The inaugural PS4™ Player Pathway Award is set to give 24 aspiring footballers around the country a shot at a professional career – including three players from PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland.

The award was announced today by Football Federation Australia as the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues season prepares for kick-off around the country.

The award process will see three players between the ages of 16 and 20 represent each participating Member Federation selected for a two day training camp at the end of the 2016 season.

One player from the 24 finalists will ultimately be selected for a two-week training trial with Sydney FC.

Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop explained the PS4™ Player Pathway Award continues the growing recognition of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues as the main stepping stone for aspiring players to break into the Hyundai A-League – with 35 players from the competition signing professional contracts with Hyundai A-League clubs this season.

“The level of the PS4 NPL continues to improve each year and it is through this increasingly impressive standard that players are getting noticed and given an opportunity to realise their dream of becoming professional footballers,” Gallop said.

“The PS4 Player Pathway Award is yet another significant step in connecting the second tier and the Hyundai A-League as it unearths the stars of the future and further identifies talent from across the NPL.”

PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland has seen a raft of players transition to the Hyundai A-League since it's launch in 2013 - including Braedyn Crowley (Northern Fury to Newcastle Jets), Joshua Brindell-South (Moreton Bay United to Wellington Phoenix) and Jai Ingham (Olympic FC to Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory).

The two day camp for the 24 PS4™ Player Pathway Award finalists will be held at Football New South Wales’ state-of-the-art training ground, Valentine Sports Park.

The award programme incorporates Australian football’s elite coaches and personalities, with the judging panel including FFA Technical Director Eric Abrams, former Socceroos skipper and NPL ambassador and Brisbane City coach John Kosmina, and Sydney FC Youth Coach Rob Stanton.

The award is also sponsored by competition naming rights partner Sony PlayStation 4, who enter their second full year as sponsors of the national second tier competition.

Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, Michael Ephraim said, “The PS4 NPL is widely recognised as the engine room for the future of professional league football in Australia.”

“By introducing the PS4 Player Pathway Award we are offering another opportunity for players who have missed selection through traditional routes to follow their dreams into the A-League.”

Ephraim also emphasised the growth of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues since its inception four years ago.

“Football passion starts at the grassroots and our partnership with the NPL testifies our commitment to elevate NPL football to firmly assist in establishing it as the pathway to the ALeague,” Ephraim explained.

“We’re investing in tomorrow’s professional football players today.”

Gallop pointed to the inclusion of all nine Australian-based Hyundai A-League clubs youth sides in the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues for the first time this season.

“The inclusion of all nine Hyundai A-League clubs into a NPL competition is another important aspect of continuing to bridge that gap between the professional and second tiers,” said Gallop. 

“The quality, both in regards to the skill on the field together with the administration side of things off the field continues to rise, and together with the support of PlayStation 4, this all benefits not only the technical development of the players but also the awareness of the PlayStation 4 NPL competitions around the country,” Gallop concluded.