Meet the Aussie striker signed to a La Liga club

Young striker George Stamoulis is striving to be the first Australian forward to play in La Liga since John Aloisi after signing with CD Leganes.

George Stamoulis

Source: Supplied

Socceroos great Aloisi joined Osasuna in 2001 and had fives seasons in the Spanish top flight, bagging 28 goals in 121 appearances for the Pamplona side, then 10 goals in 33 games for Alaves.

Stamoulis is hoping to emulate the 44-year-old’s feat as he sets out to make his name at Los Pepineros.

“Absolutely. It would be a dream come true to break into the first team here and be successful in this country,” he told The World Game.

“I’ve been working very hard and believe I have what it takes to follow in John’s footsteps. The club has been fantastic.

“Everyone from the coaching staff to the players have made me feel at home from day one and given me the confidence to express myself.

“The club is very ambitious and has a lot of potential to grow and be successful, which really excites me about the future.

“It’s been a great experience in Spain so far. It was tough at first getting used to a new country, new language and culture, but after a month or two of settling in I have begun to really enjoy my time there.
“I was performing at my best just before the virus hit which is unfortunate, but that just gives me an even bigger desire to train hard and get back there as soon as I can.”

Originally from Melbourne, Stamoulis spent two years with Panathinaikos in Greece before his switch to Spain.

He moved overseas in 2017 after making two appearances for South Melbourne’s first-team in the NPL as a teenager.

“My two years in Greece were an amazing experience for me,” Stamoulis said. “It was my first time living overseas and being away from my family, so it was difficult at first.

"It gave me the opportunity to experience European football for the first time, and enhanced my level as a player tremendously. The food over there isn’t too bad either.”

Stamoulis grew up in the Victorian capital and toured Japan with the Australian Schooboys in 2016. The forward impressed in the youth teams of Port Melbourne and South Melbourne before debuting in the NPL.

“I joined my first football team when I was eight years old,” he explained. “My father wanted me to start playing a sport and signed me up to a local club.
"To tell you the truth I actually hated it at first and wanted to quit from day one.

“Fortunately my parents convinced me to give it a go and I ended up falling in love with the game.

“Playing overseas has always been a dream of mine. I used to always hear about the difference in European football compared to Australian football and it made me want to strive to take that next step up, which thankfully I’ve been able to do.”

Stamoulis returned to Australia in March when football was suspended and the coronavirius struck. The 21-year-old is looking forward to returning to Spain when the pandemic clears.

“I came back early March when they suspended the football leagues,” he said. “Luckily I left Spain just before the country implemented stricter quarantine measures. I have been spending a lot of time with my family [in Melbourne].

“As I’m usually away from home it’s an opportunity for all of us to be together. I have also been training every day to keep my fitness at a high level so I’m ready to go back to my club as soon as I’m able too.

“It all depends on the situation over there and when it is safe for the team to begin training again. My priority is to make sure I’m 100 percent fit and ready for whenever they need me back.”

Earning a call-up to the Socceroos one day is another target for the young goal-scorer.

“I don’t like to look too far ahead when creating goals and ambitions for myself, I prefer to work on how I can better myself in the short term and in doing so give myself a better chance of success in the future,” Stamoulis said.

“In saying that, a big dream of mine is to play for the Socceroos, which is something I will work tirelessly to achieve.”


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4 min read
Published 8 May 2020 12:42pm
By John Davidson

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