The boys, Liam Hoyn, Thomas Cleverly, Tony Krstevski, Flynn Madden and Jayden Bojlevski, will represent the Sydney FC Academy at the One Nation Cup in Shonan, where they will face off against teams from around the world, including South Africa, Germany, Turkey and Russia. 

“It’s very exciting for all the boys that are going,” Cleverly said. “It’s going to be such a great experience for everyone involved.”

Held every two years, the competition aims to develop ties between football playing nations and help junior players experience different cultures from around the world. The competition hopes to enable players to form genuine bonds despite their different nationalities.  

​The 14-year-old said he’s looking forward to testing his skills against different styles of play and strategies that Australian teams typically don’t utilise.

“I’m probably most looking forward to seeing how everyone else plays from all the other countries and the different styles of football that they play.

“Hopefully I can catch the names of some of the other players because you never know, they could be the next big thing.”

The partnership with Sydney FC, which was launched last October, provides Illawarra Sports High students with the opportunity to train alongside some of Sydney’s most talented juniors under the tutelage of Sydney FC’s collection of experienced coaches.

Illawarra Sports High’s inclusion in the program offers players the same benefits provided to students at renowned sports high schools including Endeavour Sports High. 

It’s a setup that has received rave reviews from all involved.

“It’s a family community at Sydney FC, so everyone’s been involved,” Cleverly said. “We’ve had access to some good coaches who are in the set up, so it has been a good opportunity.”