Welcome to A-Leagues Alumni: A weekly piece that keeps you up to date with the best stories from our products flying the flag abroad. The acronyms of the A-Leagues club(s) each player has represented are in brackets after their name.
Silvera repays the faith at Boro
Michael Carrick had a feeling and he went with it over the weekend. The Manchester United legend, now manager of Middlesbrough, started Sammy Silvera (CCM, NEW) against EFL Championship leaders Leicester City as a makeshift centre forward.
Silvera had not started a game in England’s second tier since December 29 – a 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town – after spending time at the Asian Cup with the Socceroos.
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On Sunday, the former Central Coast Mariners star repaid the faith with the match-winning goal in a shock 2-1 victory away at Leicester City.
It was a goal made in Australia as Socceroo Riley McGree (ADL, NEW, MCY) teed up the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League champion at the King Power Stadium, where Leicester lost at home in the league for the first time since November.
“You have to make big decisions and some go right, some don’t go to plan,” said Michael Carrick, who also had Tom Glover (CCM, MCY) in his line-up. “That’s just the way it is.
“I just had a feeling for that one. I thought the way we set up would suit him. Playing on that last line, his one-vs-one and his running in behind, I think he’s got a sense of a goal, Sammy.
“The other boys played the other night as well, so there was a little bit of getting the right mix in terms of freshness. I have to say, credit to Marcus (Forss) and Sam (Greenwood) as well, because they took it so well and were fantastic around the place after the news. They then came on and gave their all for the team, so that kind of sums it up.
“I’m delighted for Sammy though. He’s had a period where he would have liked to have played more, then went away with Australia and would have liked to have played more too.
“But he’s come back, worked hard and scored what is a massive goal for him today.”
Since making the move from the A-Leagues to England, Silvera has scored six goals in 30 appearances for Middlesbrough, with four of those coming in the EFL Championship.
Boro are 13th in the standings after ending a five-match winless streak across all competitions.
The Aussie forward, who was away with the Socceroos at the AFC Asian Cup, has had to be patient at times this season but Boro’s transfer “gamble” is paying off, according to Gazette Live.
“Another player who deserves a huge mention is Sammy Silvera. The Boro forward, not for the first time this season, did a job for Boro at Leicester as a makeshift centre forward. It was a big call from Carrick, who admitted he had a hunch that the game might suit the pacey Aussie,” the publication wrote.
“His premonition paid off as Silvera broke through and finished emphatically to put Boro 2-0 up. It proved an important goal too, ensuring Vardy’s 85th-minute goal proved nothing more than a consolation in the end.
“Silvera hasn’t had quite as much game-time as he might have liked this season. Signed in the summer from Central Coast Mariners after a brilliant season in the A-League, he was described as a low-risk gamble by inside sources at Boro. It’s a gamble that looks to be really paying off.
“Silvera is by no means the finished article and still has plenty of development to do yet. But in his first season at the club he has six goals and two assists now in just 13 starts. His enthusiasm and desire to improve mean that if he can continue to grow, he can prove an excellent long-term signing for Boro.”
A-Leagues graduate makes long-awaited comeback after’ devastating’ absence
In his own words, Cammy Devlin (SYD, WEL, NEW) had FOMO (fear of missing out).
The Australian midfielder was not only sidelined with injury as Hearts impressed impressed in the Scottish Premiership, but he had to watch the Socceroos at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Hearts teammates Kye Rowles (BRI, CCM) and Nathaniel Atkinson (MCY) were both at the Asian Cup, where the Socceroos lost in the quarter-finals, while countryman Calem Nieuwenhof (SYD, WSW) has established himself in the club’s midfield.
But after 11 league games without football, Devlin returned to the field in Hearts’ 3-0 triumph over Motherwell. He came off the bench for the final 13 minutes.
“Double whammy. FOMO from not being at the Asian Cup and not playing for Hearts. Being injured there’s no good time for it. Your job every day is to rock up at training and work as hard as we can,” Devlin said via the Daily Record.
“The best time of the week is Saturday when you get to be in front of a crowd and practise what you’ve been doing in training.
“To miss out on that has been really tough. There’s no sugarcoating it, it’s been really tough at times. Any game I miss I’m devastated but to miss three-odd months and the Asian Cup that was something I had as one of my goals for the year. So to not even be in contention for that because of injury was devastating.
“Natty Atkinson and Kye Rowles did really well over there and were really unlucky not to go further. It hasn’t been fun but it gives you extra motivation to work as hard as you possibly can in the gym. I pride myself on hard work so that is what I have been doing and coming back in, it takes some time to get match-fit.
“The past seven or eight days of training I’ve been putting my head down working as hard as I can and I feel I have trained really well. Hopefully that leads to more and more minutes.”
Hearts are third in the Scottish Premiership standings, 13 points behind leaders Rangers.
A long drought ends thanks to ex-Jet
Tete Yengi (NEW) is fast becoming a cult hero at Livingston.
Last time out, the former Newcastle Jets forward scored a 120th-minute winner to send his team through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.
He was at it again on the weekend, scoring the decisive goal to give Livingston their first league win since October.
Yengi struck in first-half stoppage time to give Livingston a 1-0 victory over Keanu Baccus (WSW) and St Mirren – ending the club’s 17-match drought.
Livingston remain bottom of the standings but they are now just three points behind Ross County.
Elsewhere in Scotland, Nectar Triantis (WSW, CCM), Lewis Miller (CCM) and Adam Le Fondre (SYD) started as Nick Montgomery’s Hibernian drew 2-2 at Aberdeen.
Aussies lighting up India
Jason Cummings (CCM) and Dimitri Petratos (BRI, NEW) led the way for Indian Super League champions Mohun Bagan over the weekend.
Mohun Bagan came from behind to take down NorthEast United 4-2 in a battle with in-form Australian Tomi Juric (ADL, WSW, MAC, MEL), who struck twice.
Cummings scored a goal and supplied an assist while Petratos was also on target as Mohun Bagan moved second in the standings following a third straight win.
Former Mariners star Cummings has scored six goals in 12 ISL appearances, and 13 in all competitions. Petratos has also managed six in 12 in the league.
“Anyone can score. This is the most important,” said Petratos.
“And you see the celebrations; we all celebrate together. Everybody’s happy, which is a big positive. This is very something that we’ve been working on to be closer as a team and work together, enjoy the game, and give joy to the fans.”
As for Juric, his stunning start to life continued with another brace. He now has four goals in two matches.
Juric was also awarded the Fans’ Goal of the Week following his curling effort against East Bengal.
In Thailand, Arthur Papas (NEW) and his Buriram United are top of the Thai League 1.
Buriram won a wild game 4-3 at Trat to leapfrog Bangkok United atop the standings, though the latter have a game in hand.
“It must have been an exciting game for the fans, but as a coach I wasn’t impressed,” said Papas.
“We have to play better than this game. Our players know that they have to do a better job, so it wasn’t a great result as far as I am concerned. We shouldn’t have conceded so may goals.”
Former Reds star’s path back to the Matildas
Charli Grant (ADL) was on the outside looking in at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup but the Matildas full-back is already plotting her course back into Australia’s starting XI.
As the Matildas enjoyed an historic run to the World Cup semi-finals, Grant played just two minutes of football. This was after deputising in the absence of Steph Catley (MVC, MCY) prior to last year’s tournament, which including scoring against England.
But now, Grant is hopeful her recent switch to Women’s Super League outfit Tottenham will boost her chances of forcing her way into a Matildas squad that boasts Catley and Ellie Carpenter (WSW, CAN, MCY) in full-back positions.
“It’s definitely a step up from Sweden – not just in football, but outside of life as well,” Grant told the Sydney Morning Herald, having played in the loss to Aston Villa over the weekend before linking up with the Matildas for the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
“I’ve noticed from the first training, it’s just a lot more consistency at a higher level, and we do a lot of work on the technical side. That’s been really beneficial for me, I already feel like I’m improving every time we do those drills. And then playing … I think we’ve played Man City twice in the space of a couple of weeks. To play against the best players in the world like that so regularly, I feel very lucky.
“And then, you know, in London, everything’s a little bit more expensive as well, so I’m definitely learning on that side of things with budgeting sort of stuff. But it’s nice. I’m loving it here. I feel like I’m growing as a person, as a player, so quickly.”
She added: “A lot of my career has been a bit like that. I’m always trying to knock on doors.
“I’ve always had it challenging, throughout every team I’ve been in, so it’s nothing new for me. Being at Tottenham will be really helpful for my development. I know just being in that environment will really develop me, and then hopefully I can just keep pushing for that starting spot.”
Elsewhere abroad…
Mary Fowler (ADL) and Alanna Kennedy (SYD, NEW, WSW, PER, MCY) both came off the bench as Manchester City stunned reigning WSL champions and leaders Chelsea 1-0.
Catley started, while Caitlin Foord (SYD, PER) and Kyra Cooney-Cross (MVC, WSW) both came off the bench on an historic day for Arsenal as a record-breaking crowd of 60,160 witnessed the 3-1 win over Manchester United at Emirates Stadium.
City are now level with Chelsea atop the standings, while Arsenal are three points off the pace.
Clare Wheeler (NEW, SYD) and Everton got the better of West Ham 2-0 as Mackenzie Arnold (PER, CAN, WSW, BRI) and Katrina Gorry (MVC, ADL, BRI) started for the Hammers.
In Spain, Hayley Raso (CAN, BRI, MVC) came off the bench in Real Madrid’s 2-1 Liga F victory against Tenerife.
Meanwhile, Maty Ryan (CCM) and AZ Alkmaar were 2-1 victors at Fortuna Sittard thanks to a 90th-minute winner in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Ajax, who have John van’t Schip (MCY) as coach and Michael Valkanis (ADL, MCY) as assistant, were held to a 2-2 draw by NEC, who equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
In the Belgian Pro League, Westerlo topped Standard Liege 2-1 as Jordy Bos (MCY) and Aiden O’Neill (CCM, BRI, MCY) started for their respective clubs.
Jason Davidson (PER, MVC) played 78 minutes in KAS Eupen’s 2-0 loss to Gent.
In Serie A Femminile, Joe Montemurro (MVC, MCY) oversaw Juventus’ 4-1 rout of Napoli that kept the club second and eight points behind Roma.
