Tony Popovic has declared teenage Manchester United sensation James Overy a chance to make the Socceroos’ World Cup squad next year, even though he is yet to play a competitive senior match.
The highly-touted full-back only turned 18 on Sunday but is now training regularly with the Premier League club’s first team.
Popovic selected Overy for this week’s friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia as the Socceroos continue to prepare for next year’s World Cup in North America.
The right-back, who has also played as a winger and on the left side of defence, impressed in two matches for the Australian Under-20 side in last month’s World Cup in Chile.
Popovic said those appearances made him consider bringing Overy into the senior set-up, despite his lack of first team experience, and he has subsequently received positive feedback from Manchester United coaches.
Although Popovic said the coming matches were partly focused on developing the Socceroos’ depth, he is not ruling out picking Overy as a World Cup bolter.
“I just thought he’s worth having a look at, and let’s see,” he said. “I’m very open-minded with what that looks like for the immediate future and obviously long term.”
Overy is now training regularly with the first team at Carrington under Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.
“Right now, he’s in a very good moment, and I hope he comes in here and – we’ll do everything we can to make him feel comfortable – that he expresses himself on the field, is not too nervous, and he just comes out and plays and does what he loves doing,” Popovic said.
Overy was Australia’s youngest player in Chile, and played left-back in the second match against Argentina and his preferred position in the third fixture, a 3-1 win over Cuba. He set up Australia’s first goal with a through ball for Max Caputo.
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“Watching him closely in Chile, I was impressed,” Popovic said. “We have good contacts at Man U [United], so we know what he’s doing at training, we know how much he trains, how much he trains with the first team. He’s getting games with the under 18s, the under 21s, and he’s in the process where he’s getting called [to first team training] up a lot more often.”
Overy played for United’s Under-18s in a 0-0 draw on the weekend. Popovic said the club’s staff have a development programme for him, which includes training with the first team, to “get his minutes up”.
“They have a plan with him, like they do with all their youngsters, but he’s Australian and we’re delighted with the progress he’s making,” Popovic said. “We can see the physical gains he’s making in terms of his loading at training, and how well he’s adapting to that and the rigours of a Premier League top club training.”
The Socceroos play Venezuela on 14 November in Houston.
