The door is now open to the wealth of resources of English heavyweight Tottenham Hotspur at the University of Wollongong.
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Potentially even a pathway to the Premier League, perhaps in a fashion like Aaron Mooy rose through the A-League and Socceroos system to Huddersfield via current champions Manchester City.
So this week's announcement is a big deal.
Certainly when Spurs great Ledley King, rated one of the finest defenders of the Premier League era, joins UOW ambassador Adam Gilchrist to be part of it.
But it also raised an important question.
Where will these kids, studying for a university degree while training for 16-20 hours per week under the Tottenham scholarship, actually play? Surely, if they're investing in them, they'll want to have a level of control over their development on the pitch of a weekend.
The only offering the Mercury was given was the scholarship holders will be found an "appropriate club" when they come to town.
On Wednesday night, King joined ex-Socceroos players Luke Wilkshire - now coaching the Wollongong Wolves - and Scott Chipperfield - now coaching the Illawarra Stingrays - for a training session with the squads.
A remarkable quartet completed by former Japanese international Yuzo Tashiro, now a senior member of the Wolves, who have made a flying start to the NSW National Premier League. And the Wolves would be firmly in the frame for a national division two competition, if the ongoing conversation about creating promotion and relegation in the A-League were ever to eventuate.
Could the Spurs-UOW deal lead to a partnership with the Wolves?
Wolves and Stingrays are playing at the highest level of any club in the Illawarra, after all.
And, perhaps in the realms of fantasy, could that result in Tottenham potentially backing a future A-League expansion bid, after Wolves' hopes fell flat, but also saw off rivals Southern Expansion for good.
"It's not one for us to answer," Game On was told.
Seems like the biggest initial stumbling block would be Wolves playing a strip closest to Spurs most-hated London rivals Arsenal.
It's an almighty leap from Thursday's announcement, but global reach is big business for the world's biggest football clubs.
In a couple of weeks, Spurs have a crucial Champions League tie with EPL rivals Manchester City, their home leg to be played at the brand new A$1.9 billion stadium in North London.
The City Football Group have expanded their footprint to own or have an interest in clubs in Australia, the US, Japan, Spain and China.
Without a home ground until now, Spurs are 13 points behind City in the league and 15 points adrift of leaders Liverpool with a game in hand, so their focus turns to their Champions League hopes and to qualify for next year's campaign.
"It's been a successful season so far," King said.
"We've played up to now at Wembley, effectively away from home, so out goal now it to try and make sure we qualify for the Champs League. And moving into the new ground will give the players and supporters and everyone at the club a big lift, just for that final push to succeed."
King joined Tottenham's youth system in 1996, before making his EPL debut in 1999.
He captained Spurs to the 2008 League Cup crown, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the final and returned to Wembley the following year where they were beaten by Manchester United on penalties.
King, who retired in 2012 after ongoing knee problems, said Tottenham were content on taking smaller steps in establishing the agreement with UOW.
It would simply be a way of helping players reach their potential, without any pressure on finding another Mooy, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka or Tim Cahill.
"The aim is not necessarily to find talent to take back to Tottenham," he said.
"It's to develop talent for the benefit of Australian football.
"Of course when a player is really naturally talented there is likely to be interest from the bigger clubs, that comes naturally.
"That's not necessarily the goal, it's just to give the young players a platform and an education to lead them in the right way."