Liberty Next Gen Tracker: Big month sends Reds gun up the standings - but not past Mariners foe

The latest batch of votes have been counted up for the Liberty Next Gen tracker as we keep tabs on the ones to watch aged 21 or under!

In both the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League this year, we’re keeping tabs on the Next Gen Tracker, ranking the top five players who were 21 or under at the start of the season every month.

Here are the five selections from the Isuzu UTE A-League through March.

WONDERKID WATCH: Aussie 17yo who trialled at one of Europe’s top clubs explodes with a hat-trick

1 vote: Daniel Bennie (Perth Glory)

Twenty games into his Isuzu UTE A-League career, 17-year-old Daniel Bennie finally scored his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal in a Round 22 encounter with Melbourne Victory.

It was a long time coming for the Joeys star who has been a regular starter under Perth Glory head coach Alen Stajcic in his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.

2 votes: Luka Jovanovic (Adelaide United)

Like Bennie, Luka Jovanovic debuted in the Isuzu UTE A-League at 17 and the now-18-year-old is going from strength to strength at Adelaide United.

Jovanovic has bagged three goals in his last five appearances, including two in March, taking his career tally to seven goals in just 1,256 minutes of Isuzu UTE A-League action.

3 votes: Bernardo Oliveira (Macarthur FC)

Bernardo Oliveira earns his first three votes of the season after a month that began so brightly for the Macarthur FC forward, but ended in anguish.

The 20-year-old had scored three goals in as many games by early March, bagging a brace against Melbourne City on the first of the month as his impact continued to grow at the Bulls. Bernardo signed for Mile Sterjovski’s side in January from Adelaide United and had begun to hit his straps before he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury.

4 votes: Ben Old (Wellington Phoenix)

Consistently one of the top-performing young players in the Isuzu UTE A-League, Wellington Phoenix midfielder Ben Old has helped catapult his side to the top of the table this season.

The 21-year-old scored a brilliant brace in a 3-2 win over Adelaide United at the start of March to take his season tally to four; Old also has three assists to his name in a season that has included 11 starts and 12 substitute appearances.

Old is just one game away from equalling his equal-most appearances in a single season.

5 votes: Nestory Irankunda (Adelaide United)

March belonged to Nestory Irankunda, Adelaide’s 18-year-old sensation who became the youngest hat-trick scorer in Isuzu UTE A-League history in Round 22’s 4-1 win over Western United.

Irankunda scored four times throughout the month and a 14-goal career tally, he’s the highest-scoring player aged 19 or under in Isuzu UTE A-League history.

Liberty Next Gen Tracker: season tally

Irankunda has polled a maximum five votes on two occasions this season – but his 10-vote tally is two less than Central Coast Mariners defender Jacob Farrell’s, who tops the tally with 12.

Farrell and Irankunda started an iconic rivalry in last season’s finals series, going head to head down Adelaide’s right wing in a two-legged Semi-Final dominated by Farrell and the Mariners.

The two young stars faced off again in Round 1 and Farrell received a red card as Irankunda took bragging rights to kick off the new campaign.

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An iconic image of Irankunda and Farrell from the 2022-23 finals series.

Heading into the final phase of the regular season, these two young prospects look set to battle it out for top spot on the Liberty Next Gen Tracker, with Wellington goalkeeper Alex Paulsen not far behind in third with eight votes.

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