A teenage World Cup bolter emerges for Socceroos
Tony Popovic could see this almost immediately when Lucas Herrington started training with the Socceroos for the first time.
Everyone could see it on Friday night.
There weren’t many positives to take from Australia’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Cameroon, but the emergence of this 18-year-old prodigy as a bona fide World Cup gunner was the biggest of them all.
Herrington made his professional debut for the A-League’s Brisbane Roar in December 2024 and before he did so, his then-coach Ruben Zadkovich was ready to make the case that he was the best defender and player with the highest ceiling in Australian football.
It was a big decision and those around him, including some of his Socceroos teammates, would have preferred to keep the hype under wraps, but that will now be difficult.
Transferring from the Roar to Colorado Rapids for a record fee in January, he has taken Major League Soccer in the United States by storm and kept former Arsenal defender Rob Holding on the bench due to the level of his performances.
If he continues like this he won’t be able to stay there very long.
Even those in Australian football circles who are not prone to hyperbole when it comes to young talent say with confidence that Herrington has what it takes to be a key player for the Socceroos over the next decade and beyond.
Herrington, who Popovic started against the narrowly-held Cameroon, became the youngest defender to feature for the Socceroos since Brett Woods in 1981 and looked little different from a player making his debut.
His only mistake was slipping on the uneven grass near the Accor Stadium corner flag towards the end of the first half. Apart from that, he looked confident in possession, confident in tackling, smart in positioning and contributed greatly to keeping a valuable clean sheet.
What more could Popovic ask for?
“I was very impressed,” Popovic said.
“I wanted to see what he was like in this environment. When I saw him training I thought, ‘Yes, he’s 18’. So if you want, you can find an excuse not to play him.”
“We had a pretty tough session on Wednesday… it looked like he’d been around for a few camps. Some kids, you see… it’s like they’re overthinking at every moment: ‘I made a mistake, I’m on the national team. This isn’t good.’ This kid continues this work.
“I thought I could give him a few minutes in the second game, but after training on Wednesday I was convinced he could start.”
Herrington’s maturity was evident in the way he spoke, even in the mixed zone after the match, of an accomplishment that would have eluded most players his age.
“I’m just trying to take it all in my stride,” he said.
“It wasn’t too long ago that I made my debut at the Roar and things have progressed rapidly since then. I’ve enjoyed the ride.
“There’s still a lot to go. There are a lot of people around me who tell me to keep my head down, to stay humble, to stay humble, and I think that’s very important, to keep doing my job on the field. But I also remember that I’ve been lucky enough to get these opportunities and everyone wants to be in my position.”
Alessandro Circati, a relatively young defender for the Socceroos, said he told Herrington before the match to play his usual game because that was what got him there.
“It was just one match,” Circati said. “But from what I have seen, I think he is very calm. He is very good under pressure and he uses both feet willingly and happily, which is very, very important. In this age, it is very important to trust both feet.”
Nestory Irananunda, his former roommate on the Australian under-16 team, has been keeping a close eye on Herrington’s club’s form.
“This is an extremely proud moment for him and for the country, because there are not many young defenders today who have reached the point where he has dominated,” he said. “It’s not easy to make your debut in front of your fans with a clean sheet at the age of 18.”
Although the Socceroos are well stocked in defenders, Herrington is a realistic call for Popovic to join the 26-man World Cup squad, but there is still plenty to play between now and June – including another match against Curacao on Tuesday night, the team’s final home game ahead of the World Cup, to complete the FIFA Series.
Fans looking for a full performance against Cameroon did not get what they wanted but did see a win; This was something that should boost confidence after three straight defeats at the end of last year.
Popovic is still playing around with different players in different positions and hopes to unearth rare gems like Herrington or right wing-back Jacob Italiano, who only debuted in October but was superb again on Friday night and looks like a lock for the World Cup.
Popovic reassured disheartened Socceroos fans that there was a strategy behind what he was doing with the team and that what looked ugly now could soon turn into something beautiful.
“You always want to win and there is no greater feeling than that,” he said.
“But when you can do both, when you can debut players, try players in different positions and still win, you get the best of both worlds.
“I think it’s already coming together.”
