Brisbane Roar defender Lucas Herrington and Adelaide United goalkeeper Max Vartuli have been called into the Subway Young Socceroos’ 23-player squad for the China Panda Cup International Tournament, set to kick off this week.
Young Socceroos head coach Trevor Morgan named his squad in early November but initial squad members Sebastian Esposito (Lecce) and former Adelaide keeper Steven Hall (Brighton and Hove Albion) are now unavailable.
The late withdrawals have opened the door for two of the brightest young talents in the Isuzu UTE A-League to join the squad ahead of Australia’s opening game of the tournament against Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, November 13.
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The Young Socceroos assembled in Chendu, China on November 10 for the tournament which head coach Morgan will use as preparation for the 2025 AFC Under-20 Asian Cup; this is the last time the Young Socceroos will assemble before the tournament in February-March of next year.
At just 17 years of age, Brisbane centre-back Herrington is highly-rated by his club side. He signed a three-year scholarship contract ahead of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-league season, graduating from the Roar academy to the first team for the first time in his young career.
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Herrington received his first senior minutes in Brisbane’s pre-season tour of India where he impressed Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich, who has since labelled his new signing as the “best defender in Australian football” in terms of his potential.
“Lucas is exactly what I’m speaking about. He is a young man that is respectful, very hard working, very intellectual,” Zadkovich said in pre-season.
“Wants to play football the right way. He is an on-the-ball player.
“His ceiling is massive. To shoot straight from the hip, which I like to do, he is the best defender in Australian football right now. For me, he has the highest ceiling of anyone.”
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Vartuli, 19, joined Adelaide United’s goalkeeping brigade in September, having risen through the youth ranks of Sydney FC before a one-year loan move from the Sky Blues at Aalborg BK in Denmark.
The arrival of Herrington and Vartuli in Young Socceroos camp has taken the contingent of Isuzu UTE A-League players within the 23-player squad up to 17:
The 15 Isuzu UTE A-League squad members selected in the Young Socceroos squad come from six clubs:
Adelaide United: Bailey O’Neil, Fabian Talladria, Ryan White, Max Vartuli
Brisbane Roar: Lucas Herrington
Macarthur Bulls: Dean Bosnjak, Alexander Robinson
Melbourne Victory: Jesse Hoey, Kayne Razmovski
Perth Glory: Adam Bugarija, Abdul Faisal, Jaylan Pearman
Sydney FC: Nathan Amanatidi, Gus Hoefsloot, Tiago Quintal, Tyler Williams
Western Sydney Wanderers: Jesse Cameron
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Match Schedule – China Panda Cup International Tournament
Subway Young Socceroos v Kyrgyzstan
Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu
Kick-off: 3.30pm local / 6.30pm AEDT
China PR v Subway Young Socceroos
Saturday, 16 November 2024
Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu
Kick-off: 7.35pm local / 10.35pm AEDT
Subway Young Socceroos v Mongolia
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu
Kick-off: 2.00pm local / 5.00pm AEDT
Subway Young Socceroos squad
| NAME | POSITION | CLUB | JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB |
| Nathan AMANATIDIS | Forward | Sydney FC | West Adelaide SC / Football SA |
| Daniel BENNIE | Forward | Queens Park Rangers FC | Sorrento FC / Football West |
| Liam BONETIG | Defender | Celtic FC | Shellharbour Junior FC / Football NSW |
| Dean BOSNJAK | Forward | Macarthur Bulls | Freeman Sports Club / Football NSW |
| Adam BUGARIJA | Midfielder | Perth Glory FC | St. Bernadette FC / Football NSW |
| Jesse CAMERON | Defender | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Winston Hills FC / Football NSW |
| Abdul FAISAL | Midfielder | Perth Glory FC | Auburn FC / Football NSW |
| Lucas HERRINGTON | Defender | Brisbane Roar FC | Toowong FC / Football QLD |
| Gus HOEFSLOOT | Goalkeeper | Sydney FC | Helensburgh Thistles SC / Football NSW |
| Jesse HOEY | Midfielder | Melbourne Victory FC | Doncaster Rovers SC / Football VIC |
| Bailey O’NEIL | Defender | Adelaide United FC | Western Strikers FC / Football SA |
| Paul OKON-ENGSTLER | Midfielder | S.L. Benfica | Marconi Stallions / Football NSW |
| Jaylan PEARMAN | Midfielder | Perth Glory FC | Sorrento FC / Football West |
| Tiago QUINTAL | Attacker | Sydney FC | Baulkham Hill FC / Football NSW |
| Kayne RAZMOVSKI | Midfielder | Melbourne Victory FC | Altona City SC / Football VIC |
| Alexander ROBINSON | Goalkeeper | Macarthur Bulls FC | Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC / Football NSW |
| Fabian TALLADIRA | Defender | Adelaide United FC | Adelaide City FC / Football SA |
| Musa TOURE | Forward | Clermont Foot 63 | Croydon FC / Football SA |
| Dimitri VALKANIS | Defender | AEK Athens | MetroStars FC / Football SA |
| Max VARTULI | Goalkeeper | Adelaide United FC | Fraser Park FC / Football NSW |
| Ryan WHITE | Midfielder | Adelaide United FC | Para Hills Knights SC / Football SA |
| Tyler WILLIAMS | Defender | Sydney FC | Castle Hill United FC / Football NSW |
| Marcus YOUNIS | Midfielder | PSV Eindhoven | North Rocks SC / Football NSW |
