Neil Kilkenny and four Australians tipped for stardom in Europe – Football special
While the Aussies have always been a great cricketing nation, it is only recently that the Kangaroos have made their mark in the footballing world. With their infrastructure getting better by the day, many players have managed to cement their places with
different European sides. These players have already received accolades and have invited interest from several top European clubs, which has come as a boost both for the players and the Socceroos.
Bettor.com identifies some of the top players who caught the lime light during the 2010/11 season.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nathan-Coe-c27376
The Australian international, on the pay cheque of Danish outfit SonderjyskE, was regarded among the top goalkeepers in the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Denmark-c2884 Premier League. His team struggled during the early stages of the competition and his side looked relegation bound until Coe
came back to the rescue. The shot-stopper struggled with the club early on in the season but lifted the game remarkably following his return from injury.
His performances in the second half of the season made him a popular figure at Haderslev Fodboldstadion, which eventually led the Danish outfit out of the Relegation zone after an intense fight in the closing stages of the campaign. The 27-year-old managed
to keep eight clean sheets from 33 appearances during the entire season. One of the shining Australian stars on the continent!
Carl Valeri
Another Australian born player, Carl Valeri, had a significant influence on Serie B side, Sassuolo, who were also staring into relegation during the 2010/11 campaign. They finished 16th on the table and avoided the drop by a whisker.
The defender joined the club in 2010 but failed to impress his manager, Daniele Arrigoni, who was later replaced by Paolo Mandelli. Valeri was soon back in the good books of his new manager and made remarkable return to the first team. The defensive midfielder
made a huge difference and enabled his side to stay up in the League. He made a http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Total-c40747 of 37 appearances during the 2010/11 campaign.
Neil Kilkenny
The 25-year-old midfielder and another Aussie international, Neil Kilkenny, was one of the shining stars in the Championship football, playing for Leeds United. The midfielder had a decent season and almost enabled his club to qualify for England’s top Division.
Leeds just fell short of the play-offs and finished seventh on the table with 72 points. Kilkenny managed to score only once but kept assisting in the goals on a regular basis to ensure that his club stayed in the qualification hunt. He finished the Championship
season with one goal and seven assists.
Adam Federici
Federici, another Aussie sensation, proved to be a handful for the opponents. The Reading goalkeeper almost led his side to English Premier League, only to be denied by Swansea City.
Both teams competed in the play-off finals but Reading lost their opportunity after letting in four goals. Apart from this performance, the Aussie international stood firm throughout and recorded 12 clean sheets from 39 appearances that allowed Reading to
finish fifth on the table. Federici’s performances were hailed by the Socceroos manager, Holger Osieck, as he hinted to a national team call-up for the player.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lucas-c22528 Neill
Another Australian to shine brightly in the recently concluded campaign was the 33-year-old Lucas Neill. The centre-back was a part of the Galatasaray line-up, who did not have a decent season by their high standards. The team finished eighth in the table
and Neill was certainly not the one to be blamed as the Australian was competitive enough, and stood as a lone ranger at the back for most of the season. He did not get the support he deserved from his fellow defenders, which hampered the club’s position in
the end.
The said players have certainly raised the profile of their country. Passion for the sport is growing rapidly in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Australia-c746, and one can certainly expect an influx of Aussie youth into Europe in years to come.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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