Double winners Sydney FC have signed four of the club’s Academy prospects to A-League contracts ahead of their quest for a third consecutive Championship.
Sky Blues midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof, defenders Anton Mlinaric and Callum Talbot, as well as goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic have all signed scholarship deals and will be part of the first team squad during the A-League 2020/21 season.
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Talbot and Nieuwenhof have been part of the Academy since day one in October 2015, while Mlinaric and Pavlesic joined the Sky Blues a year later in October 2016.
19-year old Nieuwenhof and 18-year old Pavlesic recently made their first team debuts in the AFC Champions League.
Head Coach Steve Corica said: “All four boys are excellent talents and have the potential to forge strong careers.
“Both Calem (Nieuwenhof) and Adam showed they can compete against the top players in Asia in Qatar and I’ve no doubt we will see more of them this season.
“It’s exciting to see so many of our younger players performing so well at a high level, particularly in the AFC Champions League against some of the best players in Asia.”
Midfielder Nieuwenhof was the only player to play every minute of the Sky Blues’ recent AFC Champions League campaign in Qatar and is excited ahead of the new A-League season.
“It’s a dream come true to be signing for the club I supported as a boy,” he said.
“My experience with the A-League squad couldn’t have been better, I’ve learned so much and I know I will only improve in this environment.
“I can’t wait to get going in my first A-League season this month and I want to play as many minutes as possible.”
Sydney FC Technical Director – Youth, Kelly Cross said: “It’s a tremendous pathway we have in place from our partner associations, to our renowned Academy Training Program, our Academy Football Schools right through to our Sydney FC Academy and our A-League team.
“I was delighted to watch ten players who have come through our system playing for Sydney FC during the recent AFC Champions League campaign and doing very well.”
Corica added: “It’s a testament to the work the club has done with our partner associations and our player pathways that these boys are able to slot straight into our A-League team.”
Pavlesic and 18-year old Mlinaric represented Australia at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil last year while 19-year old Talbot has been a regular in Young Socceroos squads over the past two seasons.
