Glory defender Walter Scott has received more good news on the international front having been included in the Young Socceroos squad for a training camp set to take place on the Central Coast next week.
The 18-year-old, who made his Hyundai A-League debut last season, has just returned from Sydney where he was involved in a similar camp with the Australia Under-23s, along with Glory colleagues Jake Brimmer and Brandon Wilson .
The Young Socceroos are preparing for the 2018 AFC Under-19 Championships which are scheduled to take place in Indonesia in October and Scott is understandably keen to impress during the week-long camp in order to try and nail down his place in the tournament squad.
“It’s a great honour to be selected and very exciting to be involved with the best young players in the country,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to work under Ante Milicic who obviously is closely involved with the Socceroos as well and I’ll be doing everything I can to put myself in with the best chance possible of going to Indonesia.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Glory’s Head of Football Jacob Burns.
“We’re all thrilled for Walter whose call-up is recognition of all the hard work he has been putting in and the progress that he’s made,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for him and one that we’re sure he’ll grab with both hands.
“His selection is also another glowing endorsement of our PGFC Academy which is continuing to produce players equipped to play at the highest level.”
Following another camp to be held on the Sunshine Coast late next month, Milicic’s men will begin their AFC Under-19 Championship campaign by taking on Korea Republic in Bekasi on October 19th.
Vietnam and Jordan make up the rest of what is a tough Group C and the young Aussies will need to finish in the top two in order to reach the quarter-finals.
Should they progress to the last four, meanwhile, they will secure their place at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup which will be held in Poland.
And for Milicic, that is the ultimate aim.
“Australia last qualified for FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013 when the tournament was held in Turkey,” he said, “and it is certainly our aim to return to that elite tournament in Europe next year.
“But if we are to achieve that goal, we must ensure that we make solid progress in our forthcoming camps in Australia and arrive in Indonesia committed to the challenge that’s ahead of us.”
Before he heads over east, however, Scott is set to feature for the Glory Academy First Team in Saturday’s NPL WA McInerney Top Four Cup semi-final against Perth SC at Dorrien Gardens.
Kick off is at 3pm.
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