Son of a Socceroos captain headlines Australia’s squad for U18 tournament against European powerhouses

Benfica midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler, son of former Socceroos captain Paul Okon, has been selected alongside a number of rising A-Leagues talents in an Australian U18 squad set to take part in a youth-level international tournament in Portugal next month.

The 20-player squad features four sons of former Socceroos, including Okon, Dimitri Valkanis (son of Michael), Max Middleby (son of Robbie) and Emin Durakovic (son of Mehmet).

The U18 squad will venture to Portugal under Australia’s U20 head coach Trevor Morgan, to take on England, Portugal and Norway in the round-robin Portugal Sub-18 International Tournament in June.

The squad also features Adelaide United talent Luka Jovanovic, who was named Isuzu UTE A-League Player of the Month for March. The 17-year-old scored three goals in nine appearances for the Reds this term.

“It’s important we continue to provide opportunities for our best emerging talent to gain exposure to international competition as we look ahead to the next under-20 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign which will commence in 2024,” said Morgan.

“This invitational tournament in Portugal will see those selected play matches against three of Europe’s leading nations at both youth and senior level, which is the type of competition we are seeking to develop the next generation of Socceroos.

“I’m extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the Football Australia Board and Executive to make this possible for these young players.”

Other interesting call-ups include Boavista’s Jaden Gasking, Wolfsburg’s Matteo Mazzone and 1860 Munich’s Christian Naveen.

Australia will play hosts Portugal on June 9, England on June 11 and Norway on June 13.

AUSTRALIAN U-18 SQUAD l PORTUGAL SUB-18 TOURNAMENT

JUNE 5-15, 2023

Supplied by Football Australia