Adelaide United’s four Subway Young Socceroos stars were honoured at Parliament House on Tuesday afternoon after contributing to Australia’s historic AFC Under-20 Asian Cup triumph.
Reds quartet Panagiotis Kikianis, Jonny Yull, Fabian Talladira and Luka Jovanovic were key figures in Australia’s Under-20 Asian Cup triumph in China. The nation’s first Under-20 Asian Cup win was clinched by a 23-player squad featuring 17 Isuzu UTE A-League rising stars; all 23 players have spent some time on the books of an A-Leagues club.
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South Australia’s football community celebrated the four young Adelaide United players’ contribution to the Under-Asian Cup victory at Parliament House on Tuesday. South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas spoke to the significance of the achievement at a reception featuring key football stakeholders in the state.
Joined by Adelaide head coach Carl Veart, the four senior squad members received a standing ovation at the end of the ceremony as the South Australian football community expressed their pride in what the emerging players had achieved.
Central defender Kikianis spoke for the quartet at the ceremony highlighting their collective pride in representing South Australian football alongside fellow Adelaide products Musa Toure and Steven Hall, who played for the Reds before securing moves to European clubs.
“Many may not have expected us to go all the way, but within our squad, we knew what we were capable of,” Kikianis said.
“To have six South Australians on the pitch at the same time in a tournament of this magnitude speaks volumes about the footballing talent in this state.”
Adelaide United CEO Nathan Kosmina added: “This recognition is fitting for a group that has represented our Club, our State, and our Country with immense pride. Their achievement on the international stage is a testament to the talent, dedication, and resilience within South Australian football, and we could not be more proud.”
