Paul Okon-Engstler is back home in Australia amid much hype after spending time in one of the most renowned youth setups in world football. The highly-rated Sydney FC recruit has the chance to follow in the footsteps of a former Isuzu UTE A-League star.
With Paul Okon-Engstler in the A-Leagues, it’s hard not to think about Socceroo Ryan Teague.
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In the A-Leagues is where the 23-year-old launched his career. He not only established himself as one of the best players in the competition but became a Socceroo and earned a transfer to Belgian club KV Mechelen.
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It is that Aussie blueprint to cracking Europe and the national team which has emerged in the Isuzu UTE A-League. It is the path highly-rated Okon-Engstler – who has already been called up by the Socceroos – could follow in Sydney.
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The son of Socceroos great Paul Okon, the 20-year-old joined the Sky Blues from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica in July amid much hype. Having honed his craft in one of the most renowned youth setups in world football, the Young Socceroos captain and former Western Sydney Wanderers youngster is back Down Under to “fast-track my career“.
“Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in,” he said at the time as the Sky Blues strive for a balance between youth development and experience.
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The initial impressions are promising for the “enormous” talent. Heading into Saturday’s Australia Cup quarter-final against Isuzu UTE A-League premiers Auckland FC, Okon has started both knockout fixtures for the Sky Blues who are looking different in the midfield area following the departures of Socceroo Anthony Caceres and import Anas Ouahim while there is uncertainty over Leo Sena’s future.
Deployed in midfield, Okon has been at the heart of everything good about Ufuk Talay’s team in pre-season. The standout has been his distribution and passing ability. In the last-16 win over Sydney United, he boasted an 84% passing accuracy having managed 81% in the previous round against Western United. It is not only his technical work but ability to win duels and break up play in the centre of the park.
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It bodes well heading into the upcoming A-Leagues season. If Okon can follow in the footsteps of Teague, he may find himself on the plane to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Socceroos boss Tony Popovic has certainly not been afraid to rely on A-Leagues-based players, handing debuts to the likes of Hayden Matthews, Caceres, Luke Brattan and Nishan Velupillay, while Kai Trewin and Kasey Bos have also been called up.
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“He’s a fantastic young talent with a huge future ahead of him,” said Sydney head coach Ufuk Talay.
“Paul has excellent positional awareness, a real calmness in possession, and can break up play while also building from the back. He’s come through top systems, and we believe he’s ready to take the next step in his development here in Sydney.
“His potential is enormous, and we’re proud to play a role in his future both at club level and hopefully on the international stage.”
