At 19 years of age and third-choice at Adelaide United, young keeper Daniel Margush would never have expected to feature in the Hyundai A-League in 2016/17.
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But with a shoulder injury to regular keeper Eugene Galekovic and inconsistency from back-up keeper John Hall, Margush earned a shot in the first team.
Amor puts faith in youth
After making his debut under Amor in January 2016, Margush was given another chance in Adelaide’s Round 21 clash with Victory last month.
And he took his opportunity with both hands.
The shot-stopper put in an assured performance between the posts and his efforts drew high praise from Amor post-match, despite a 2-1 defeat.
Champions League experience
If tackling the might of Victory seemed daunting, imagine facing the likes of ex-Chelsea midfielder Ramires and Brazilian superstar Alex Teixeira three days later?
Well that’s exactly what happened for the youngster when he lined up for Adelaide in their ACL clash with big-spending Chinese outfit Jiangsu Suning.
The powerful keeper made some impressive saves throughout the contest and kept his side in the game as the Chinese side emerged narrow 2-1 winners.
Star showing against Wanderers
The youngster backed up his impressive display against Victory with a man-of-the-match performance in Adelaide’s 0-0 draw away to Western Sydney in Round 22.
Margush made two crucial saves to deny Wanderers in the second half and help secure his first clean sheet in the Hyundai A-League.
He was named on the bench in the A-League’s Team of the Week for his display.
And also why he’s a chance to take home the NAB Young Footballer of the Year award.
