Calem Nieuwenhof put two injury-riddled seasons behind him with a breakout campaign at Western Sydney Wanderers. Now, he’s representing his nation at a tournament for the very first time in his flourishing career.
Some might find it hard to make the crosstown switch from Sky Blue to Red and Black – but not Calem Nieuwenhof.
In fact, the decision was “pretty easy” for the central midfielder to make. Nieuwenhof joined Western Sydney Wanderers from Sydney FC ahead of the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season with just 11 senior appearances to his name accrued across three seasons at the Sky Blues.
He made 27 appearances (all starts) for Western Sydney, earning a nomination for the A-League Men Young Footballer of the Year award and a call-up to the Olyroos squad for the Maurice Rovello Tournament in France.
Nieuwenhof played the full 90 minutes in Australia’s first Maurice Revello Tournament fixture against Qatar on Tuesday night (AEST). The two nations drew 0-0 to take a share of the points; a penalty shootout ensued to see which nation would take an extra point from the draw, and Nieuwenhof’s miss sealed Qatar’s 4-3 triumph via spot kicks.
QATAR 0-0 OLYROOS: Olyroos draw Maurice Revello Tournament opener as Qatar take bonus point in penalty shootout
The 22-year-old understands the privileged position he finds himself in at the tournament helping the squad prepare for upcoming U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Nieuwenhof will hope to contribute to Australia’s qualification for not just the Asian Cup, but the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the process.
The Maurice Revello Tournament in itself is one of prestige and opportunity; the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, James Rodriquez, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Kaka have all represented their nation at the tournament since its inception.
EXPLAINED: What is the Maurice Revello Tournament? Australia, 130 scouts & ‘the best-kept secret in football’
“It’s a crazy tournament to be a part of,” Nieuwenhof said.
“I’ve heard of all the crazy players who have come through this tournament, it’s such a good opportunity for us as a squad and it means so much for all of us to be able to represent Australia at such a prestigious tournament.”
Nieuwenhof missed the best part of 18 months prior to signing for the Wanderers. He burst onto the scene in early 2021 with a rocket strike on debut for Sydney FC, but three months later suffered a fractured vertebra in his back that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He made just two appearances the following campaign before crossing the Sydney divide.
“I’ve had a disrupted last few years,” Nieuwenhof said.
“I had two major injuries that set me out for the better part of the last two seasons, so to finally get back now and be fit and playing, it makes me more grateful and gives me the extra motivation now that I am playing to put my best foot forward.
“Looking back, I’m really happy with the decision I made. It was a pretty easy decision for me at the time, I was coming off the back of injuries and the Wanderers put trust in me, and gave me an opportunity.
“Having this season with the Wanderers has been really good for me, I’ve been able to get some consistency, playing consistent minutes and I feel I’ve got myself in a good position now with the games I’ve had, and also moving forward.”
Niuewenhof admits he had to pinch himself when, in mid-season, the club signed former Premier League midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin first walked into the Wanderers changeroom.
At the time, it was unclear where Nieuwenhof would fit in a midfield featuring the experience and class of Oli Bozanic, Milos Ninkovic, Romain Amalfitano and Schneiderlin.
But the young Australian kept his place in the side, thriving amongst the “phenomenal players” surrounding him in midfield.
“I had some outstanding players next to me,” he said. “I was lucky enough to play next to Morgan for the second half of the season and learned so much from him in that short time.
“Playing with Ninkovic, and players like Oli Bozanic and Romain Amalfitano, they were awesome to learn from.
“Being able to train with them day in, day out and have them on the field next to me on the weekend, I feel like I progressed a lot, and I was able to take a lot from their games and put it into mine.”
Nieuwenhof represents a fresh crop of youngsters who took the A-League Men by storm in 2022-23. His fellow nominees for the Young Footballer of the Year award alone are exceptional: winner Jordan Bos was joined by Nieuwenhof, Marco Tilio, Noah Botic, Callan Elliot and Carlo Armiento in contending for the award.
The Wanderers midfielder is one of 14 players signed to A-League Men clubs representing the Olyroos at the Maurice Revello Tournament. He says the opportunity for young players to hone their craft in Australia’s top domestic tier is vital to the health of Australia’s youth grade international teams, and hence the future of the Socceroos.
“The goal for any young player coming through the ranks in Australia (should be) to get consistent time in the A-League,” he said.
“I think the league as a whole is really progressive, and the quality is on the rise. I think that showed this year; there were so many really strong teams competing.
“I think that’s been massive for my development personally, and for all young players it’s a really good place to develop and grow as a footballer.
“Growing up in my local club, then into (representative teams) and the academy system, it was always something you could aspire to reach, the A-League.
“I think it’s a really good competition to have for young players coming through, it’s something everyone can aspire to play (in).”
UP NEXT FOR OLYROOS
Australia v Mediterranean Select
Date: Friday, 9 June 2023
Venue: Stade d’Honneur, Mallemort
Kick-off: 10 PM (AEST)
Mexico v Australia
Date: Monday, 12 June 2023
Venue: Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny, Aubagne
Kick-off: 10 PM (AEST)
