Young Roar Talents Look To Step Up

Joseph Champness (Andrew Shaw Visible Focus PhotographY)

Words: Staff Writers
Images: Andrew Shaw/Visible Focus Photography

Seven members of Brisbane Roar Youth will get the opportunity to prove their ready for the Hyundai A-League as the club’s senior squad return for pre-season training.

Following impressive returns in the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues this season, Joe Caletti, Joseph Champness (pictured top), Nicholas D’Agostino, Connor O’Toole, Jayden Prasad and Mark Rodic will join the club’s senior stable of established stars on the training paddock next month.

The septet of promising talents could possibly provide welcome additions to John Aloisi’s planning for the coming summer following a raft of confirmed departures since the conclusion of last season.

Confirmed departures for the Roar include midfielders Steven Lustica, Devante Clut and Javier Hervas, defenders James Donachie and Shane Stefanutto, as well as attackers Jean Carlos Solorzano and Henrique.

Young Roar coach Josh McCloughan said it is pleasing to see so many members of his squad come through the talented player pathway of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues and push their claim for the top flight.

"The NPL continues to provide a great pathway for the development of our players,” McCloughan explained.

“The selected players have been given an opportunity now to impress in the A-League pre-season.”

McCloughan also was excited by the opportunity to now identify and recruit the next wave of young talents from across the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues and community competitions.

"Now that they've moved up, we're looking for the next generation of players from not only the NPL but from the wider-Brisbane and Queensland football communities,” he said.

"We want the best young Queensland footballers playing for our club and developing in our environment."

The club has stated that it is currently trialing players from PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues clubs Gold Coast City and Moreton Bay United following yesterday’s announced signing of Western Pride’s Hayden Mchenery.

Of the seven players moving into the senior training set-up for pre-season are 19-year-old attackers Prasad (pictured above) and Champness, who both transitioned to the Young Roar last season following break-out years with Redlands United and Moreton Bay United, respectively.

Current Young Roar leading goal scorer D’Agostino also came to prominence during the previous campaign by winning the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Young Player of the Year award and made his Hyundai A-League debut for Roar during the most recent season.

D'Agostino (pictured above) also played a leading role in the Young Socceroos side that advanced to this year’s AFC Under 19 Championships in a qualifying tournament in Laos and played in last year’s high profile friendly against English powerhouse Liverpool FC.

19-year-old fullback O’Toole was also part of that same Young Socceroos squad and previously honed his skills at the prestigious Seiritsu Football Academy in Tokyo prior to signing with Roar earlier this year.

17-year-old midfield talent Caletti joined Roar in January and was captain of the Joeys side that competed in the 2015 FIFA Under 17 World Cup in Argentina and is a product of the FFA Centre of Excellence in Canberra.

18-year-old defender Rodic played for PlayStation 4 NPL New South Wales powerhouse Blacktown City prior to his switch to Young Roar late last year prior to the most recent Foxtel National Youth League season.

19-year-old Konstandopoulos (pictured above) was another interstate recruit, who previously made his Hyundai A-League debut with Adelaide United in the 2013/14 season.

Young Roar have won their past two PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues outings and continue their campaign this weekend when the host the in-form Olympic FC.

Roar's Hyundai A-League squad return to pre-season training on July 11.

PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2016 - Round 15

Brisbane Roar FC Youth v Olympic FC
Saturday, June 25 | 5:00PM
Cleveland Showgrounds, Redland City




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