With the trend of NPL players making the transition to the A-League on the rise, here is three second-tier forwards A-League agents should be keeping an eye on.
Jez Lofthouse
Club: Olympic FC
You run out of superlatives when trying to describe Jez Lofthouse. Bursting onto the scene as a 16-year old with Sunshine Coast Fire, the golden-locked wizard has been leaving defenders in his wake for 4 NPL Queensland campaigns.
Now under the tutelage of Ben Cahn at Olympic, the 19-year old's dazzling form has been garnering hefty attention from A-League clubs. Adept with either foot, the twinkle-toed winger adds an impressive end-product to his catalogue of skills. With 8 strikes in 15 games, the A-League would be at his mercy should he make the step up.
Jayden Prasad
Club: Gold Coast Knights
With frenetic energy, quick feet and a strike-rate more befitting of a centre forward, Jayden Prasad is one of the hottest NPL talents in Australia. A product of the Brisbane Roar Youth team, Prasad turned out for Hume City in the NPL Victoria before settling back down in Queensland, first with Redlands and then with Gold Coast United.
Now with the high-flying Gold Coast Knights, the former Australian U-20 brings a layer of explosivity and lethality that has seen him pick up 6 goals in 11 matches. At just 22-years old, the dynamic winger's stellar form means an A-League chance is bound to come knocking.
Andy Pengelly
Club: Brisbane Strikers
Hailing from a Western Pride strike-force that included the likes of Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Andy Pengelly has bags of pedigree. Formerly a midfielder in his youth, a seven-hattrick season with the Pride U20s saw him transition into one of the most prolific strikers in Queensland.
Now with Owen Baker's Brisbane Strikers, the 21-year old has elevated his game to a new level. With 22-goals in 16 games, including three consecutive hattricks, the striker's positional nous and eye for goal has been a saving grace for an often despondent Strikers outfit. Looking to follow in the steps of another former Ipswich youngster, Pengelly has got it all when goalscoring Australians are at a premium.
Kommentare