With the 2019/20 season fast approaching, there's a host of Aussie youngsters ready to make waves in the Hyundai A-League.
Ramy Najjarine
Club: Melbourne City
Age: 19
Dubbed 'a more complete player than Daniel Arzani', if the cognoscente punditry of Luke Brattan isn't enough to get you on the Ramy Najjarine hype-train, then nothing is.
Sydney-born Najjarine is coming into his third season as a Melbourne City player, and despite only a hatful of appearances, the attacking midfielder has shown all the promise of a superstar in the making.
With a shoulder injury derailing his 2017-18 campaign, the youngster took to the field last season with a renewed sense of confidence, invigorating an insipid City side in his limited minutes, which saw him open his A-League account in style against the Mariners.
If the back end of 2018-19 is anything to go by, all eyes will be on the flamboyant forward as he dribbles and shoots his way into a shining 2019-20.
Aiden O'Neill
Club: Brisbane Roar
Age: 21
From the dizzying heights of the English Premier League to the ignominious lows of the Mariners, Aiden O'Neill's path in football is one less traveled.
But the 21-year old hasn't allowed the disparity in class to dishearten him, putting in a series of barnstorming performances last season which saw him pick up Player of the Year for a maligned Mariners outfit.
A tough and tenacious midfielder with a penchant for a crunching tackle, O'Neill's experience in England's lower leagues with Fleetwood and Oldham means he suits Robbie Fowler's Roar revolution to the core.
With a one-year contract extension the carrot on the stick for O'Neill, he'll have to be playing out of his skin for his hometown club if he's to keep his Premier League hopes alive.
Sebastian Pasquali
Club: Western United
Age: 19
It seems an age ago that Sebastian Pasquali rouletted his way into the spotlight with an awe-inspiring performance against Italian giants Juventus. With a host of European teams vying for the then 16-year old's signature, it seemed the world was at his feet.
But in an all too familiar story for a young Aussie touted for the top, Pasquali returns to Australia having failed to make his mark overseas.
Looking to recapture the potential that sent Australian football into a spin, Pasquali stands out as Western United's most shrewd acquisition amongst their slew of star signings.
A cultured passer, it remains to be seen whether his spell with Jong Ajax in the Erste Divisie has paid dividends, with the exciting attack-minded midfielder out to make his case in what's shaping up to be a huge season for the 19-year old.
Tass Mourdoukoutas
Club: Western Sydney Wanderers
Age: 20
In a trying few seasons for the Wanderers compounded by their move to the cavernous Spotless stadium, the host of talented youngsters rising through the club's ranks has often been their saving grace. None more so than Tass Mourdoukoutas.
Blighted by defensive instabilities, the 20-year old's emergence in the centre of defence was a shining light in a despondent 2018-19.
Mourdoukoutas' assuredness in defence is unbecoming for someone still in the infancy of his career, with his calmness in distribution supplemented by a powerful physique that saw him go toe-to-toe with some of the best the A-League has to offer.
The sturdy stalwart will be looking to cement his place in the Wanderers backline come 2019-20, with a spot at the heart of Australia's Olympic defence beckoning should he continue his meteoric rise.
Denis Genreau
Club: Melbourne City
Age: 20
Fresh off a season in the Eredivisie, Denis Genreau returns to the A-League with a point to prove.
A product of City's glittering academy set up, the youngster was picked up on a one-year loan by former Melbourne boss John Van't Schip, where he hit the ground running with PEC Zwolle.
With a host of showreel strikes in pre-season, the Paris-born youngster was fast-tracked to the first team, making 12 appearances as Zwolle managed to avoid the drop, capping off a breakthrough season with a maiden Socceroos call-up.
With his appetite for European football not yet sated, Genreau will add an energetic edge to an already stacked City side as he looks to get himself back in the national team picture.
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