A-Leagues All Stars Men head coach Patrick Kisnorbo says putting under-23 players at the core of his squad was a deliberate approach aimed at showcasing the talents of the competition’s rising stars to the world.
Kisnorbo added the final eight players to his squad of 21 after the Isuzu UTE A-League Semi-Finals, bringing in players from Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC – the two clubs eliminated from the post-season on the weekend.
SQUAD CONFIRMED: A-League All Stars Men lock in final 21-player squad to take on Newcastle United this Friday
Five Phoenix players joined the playing group along with three Sky Blues; adding Wellington’s Alex Paulsen and Ben Old, along with Sydney’s Jordan Courtney-Perkins to the mix, Kisnorbo took the number of under-23 players in his squad to seven – a third of the playing group.
Upon confirming his final squad, Kisnorbo revealed his full intention to unleash his seven young squad members against Newcastle United in the A-Leagues All Stars game at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
“First and foremost I wanted to show young talent here,” Kisnorbo told aleagues.com.au.
“That’s why we have seven U23 players. I think that’s really good for our game – with some great foreigners as well.”
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After a trophy-laden stint in charge of Melbourne City, Kisnorbo left Australian shores for a stint at French club ES Troyes but is back Down Under, and is set to take charge of the A-Leagues All Stars on Friday night alongside assistant coaches Mark Milligan and Rob Stanton, and goalkeeper coach Michael Theo.
“It’s great to be home. It’s great to be with the family,” Kisnorbo said.
“I was very humbled and excited to get this opportunity, and I can’t wait to work with the A-League players, and obviously the young talent that we have in this country.
“I love football, and it was just to be part of it again and coach against one of the best teams in the Premier league was obviously exciting. To coach the players we have in this country, I was super excited to do that.
“What I see now is there’s a lot of young talent coming through. When I was coaching there weren’t many young players around, or if there were very little. At the moment, now there are a lot of young players at clubs getting opportunities which is great to see.”
Kisnorbo hopes to see his young players shine in the spotlight come kick-off at Marvel Stadium on Friday night, and urged his squad to use memories of Garang Kuol’s All Stars masterclass against Barcelona in 2022 to inspire themselves to make a splash against Newcastle.
“I think (these games) are very important,” he said.
“We need to promote our game… the more chance and opportunity arises I think we should take it because we are a world game, and we need to promote our players as well.
“Garang Kuol played against Barcelona and then obviously got the move (to Newcastle). I think it’s just a chance for young players to show what they have, and he talent we have here.
“What happens after that happens but I think for young kids to get a chance and opportunity to play against a Premiership team, I think they should be very excited to do that.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has named his 29-player squad for the trip to Australia, which features former A-Leagues star Kuol and a host of big names. You can view their squad here.
Global Football Week Melbourne will be telecast in Australia live and free on 10 Bold and streamed exclusively on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Fans can purchase their tickets to the A-Leagues All Stars double-header on May 24 here.
