CENTRAL Coast Mariners National Youth League (NYL) star Hayden Morton has today been added to Paul Okon’s Qantas Young Socceroos squad to tour Hong Kong and Vietnam.
Photo by Damian Briggs (Football NSW)
CENTRAL Coast Mariners National Youth League (NYL) star Hayden Morton has today been added to Paul Okon-s Qantas Young Socceroos squad to tour Hong Kong and Vietnam.
From September 2 to 9 the Qantas Young Socceroos will compete in the 2012 AFF U19 tournament in Ho Chi Minh City.
The team will line up against Iran, hosts Vietnam, and Uzbekistan in the group stage of the competition as part of their preparation for the AFC U19 Championship to be held in the United Arab Emirates in November.
The AFC U19 Championship in the UAE will serve as the qualifiers for the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup to be held in Turkey next June & July.
The team will depart Australia on Monday 27 August, spending four days in Hong Kong before the AFF U19 tournament.
Morton, who is currently contracted to Sutherland Sharks of the New South Wales Premier League, has been enjoying a spell training full-time with the Central Coast Mariners Hyundai A-League squad. He is a set to be a key member of the Mariners NYL team in 2012/13.
Ecstatic with his first call up to the Qantas Young Socceroos having previously represented Australia with the Qantas Joeys, Morton said: “I-m very excited. I only found out this morning so it hasn-t really hit me yet. But I am sure when I get home it will sink in.”
Okon added Morton to his squad following the withdrawal of Josh Brillante of the Newcastle Jets due to injury. Nevertheless, Morton-s NYL performances last season prove he deserves his chance to impress on the international stage.
“I got in because Josh Brillante was forced to pull out but I-m not there to fill in the numbers,” he said. “I-m going there to prove my point and show how good I am.”
