Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane Roar FC believe they may have unearthed the next ‘Ivan Franjic’ after the opening night of the Westfield FFA Cup.
Roar coach Mike Mulvey was at the clash between Olympic FC and Melbourne Knights on Tuesday and has reportedly started contract talks with a player who starred on the night.
While Mulvey wouldn’t reveal a name, a couple of youngsters certainly put their case forward.
Olympic’s two-goal hero Jacob McLean was the standout while Melbourne Knights 16-year-old attacker Jordan O’Doherty also impressed.
O’Doherty was a former Adelaide United NYL winger and scored a superb goal before blotting his copybook by getting sent off soon after.
If the Roar does sign someone from the lower leagues it will give them a chance to follow in the footsteps of Socceroos defender Franjic.
The right-back was in and around the Victorian Premier League, working as an apprentice carpenter, before he got a shot at Roar.
Franjic has gone on to win three Hyundai A-League titles and play at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
“Ivan’s the prototype,’’ Mulvey told the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper.
“That would be the perfect scenario if we could repeat that.”
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