Aussie youth to follow Roar path

An advocate of the Ange Postecoglou school of flowing football, the Dutchman, who is scouring Europe looking for untried talent in the under-17s bracket, believes creativity rather than brute force will be Australia’s best weapons on the world stage.

“We’ll be selecting players on technique ahead of simply fitness and endurance,” Versleijen told The World Game.

“We will be aiming to play the way Brisbane did all year in the A-League, with a fluid passing game and technique and touch being paramount.

“We believe we are moving in the right direction and many strides have been in the three years or so since I have been in Australia. We’re looking at players from around Europe, particularly with the Joeys and there are many positions up for grabs.

“If you look at he world rankings in the seniors, the Socceroos have cracked the top 20 and our under 17s and under 20s should also be looking to be among the best 20 or so nations in their age groups.

“Looking at the players we have available and the brand of football we plan to play, I believe it’s not unrealistic at all to say we should reach the knockout stages at both tournaments. And who knows where from there.”

While his Young Socceroos squad will have an air of familiarity following on from the 2009 World Cup in Egypt and AFC Under-19's glory-ride in China last year, the Joeys door is opening to a raft of mainly English-based rookies – six of whom are making strides at the youth academy of Championship side Portsmouth.

Versleijen assessed the merits of the Pompey kids on a recent trip to England and liked what he saw from what some are suggesting are the undiscovered uncut diamonds of Australian football.

The likes of Ryan Williams, brother of Socceroos defender Rhys Williams, defenders Alex Grant and Billy Tsovolos, midfielders Andy Higgins and Jordon Fitzharris and striker Patrick Antelmi will all be called into a 35-man camp at the AIS in Canberra from May 16-22 as Versleigen polishes the as yet hidden treasures at his disposal ahead of Mexico (June 18 - July 10).

Liverpool academy striker Tom King and West Ham fledgling Dylan Tombides, tipped as a star in the making by Hammers reserve team coach Mike Keen, have also been invited to the camp with another of the Williams boys, Burnley midfielder Aryn Williams, twin brother of 17-year-old Ryan, also likely to come into calculations along with Aston Villa’s Academy midfielder Reece Caira.

While not a fan of the English system of player development, Versleijen is a fan of these rising rookies, adding: “The English method hasn’t changed for the last 25 years and the FA know it and they have come to conclusion that if they don’t change their youth development they will slip even further behind the rest of Europe.

“But I have seen enough from these youngsters to suggest they are more than worth taking a long look at with the World Cup in mind. I want to compare these overseas boys with what we already have at the AIS in the Australian Youth League.”

Versleijen must pair his squad down to 21 by the end of May for Mexico, with the Under-17s at their first World Cup since joining Asia in 2006, having missed out just once before that and reaching the final in 1999, only to lose to Brazil on penalty shootout.

The Young Socceroos, valiant but beaten finalists at the 2010 AFC Under-19 Championship, will feature many familiar faces with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Matthew Leckie, FC Utrecht’s Tommy Oar, breakthrough Socceroos striker Brent McGrath, 19, and Sunderland’s Matthew Fletcher to name a few.

Versleijen also paved a path for Le Mans striker Kearyn Baccus along with Club Brugge midfielder George Lambadaridis, who were both part of a train-on squad in Duisburg ahead of last month’s stunning win by the Socceroos over Germany.

The Under-20s will wind up preparations for Colombia (July 30 - August 20) with a clash against Germany on May 28 as part of two-week European tour, which will take in four-team tournament after that in the Netherlands.

Semi-finalists in 1991 and 1993, the Under-20s didn’t make it beyond the group stage in Egypt but are on a high after reaching the AFC under-19 final last October.