Jamie Maclaren’s Caltex Socceroos debut against England last month caps a remarkable story for the young striker.
From his time growing up in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne to signing with English club Blackburn before making a name for himself in the Hyundai A-League, it’s been an incredible rise for the speedy Brisbane Roar striker.
And in an excellent feature from Fox Sports, they chart Maclaren’s rise from a youngster right the way through to his Socceroos debut against England in Sunderland.
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It perhaps should come as no surprise the 22-year-old is enjoying the success he has, with professional football in the family bloodlines.
His dad Donald played with Hearts and Dunfermline in Scotland, while his uncle Ross was at clubs like Glasgow Rangers and Derby County.
“My dad being an ex-player, he threw me the ball when I was three or four years of age and I just loved the game from there,” Maclaren explains
He continued: “One Christmas Dad said ‘let’s go down the back and have a look and there was a full size goal there. I spent most hours after school down there, that’s where got my hunger to be a striker.”
And the rest is history.
