Three Newcastle Jets players have today been selected in the Qantas Young Socceroos squad for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2009 to be held in Egypt later this month.
Three Newcastle Jets players have today been selected in the Qantas Young Socceroos squad for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2009 to be held in Egypt later this month.
Jason Hoffman, Ben Kantarovski and Sean Rooney will depart for the prestigious tournament on Monday, 14 September after this Saturday-s Hyundai A-League round 6 clash against Brisbane Roar.
Both Hoffman and Rooney have worked hard to fight their way back from injuries and setbacks over the past 12-months, whilst Kantarovski has recently been battling an ankle complaint which has seen him miss the last two Hyundai A-League matches for the Jets.
No doubt Jan Versleijen-s 21-man squad will have a difficult task in front of them during the tournament, as they have been drawn with powerhouse nations Brazil, Czech Republic and Costa Rica in Group E.
For the Jets- talented trio, today-s selection news will have them buoyed as they prepare at a pre-tournament training camp in Cyprus before their first game of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup on Sunday, 27 September.
“Last year was a real downer for me on a personal note, getting injured and missing most of the season,” Hoffman said after this morning-s training session. “But I-m just really over the moon to be named in the World Cup squad.”
“For an opportunity like the World Cup to come around, it-s something where you will be playing against the superstars of the future. Especially with the likes of Brazil in the group, it will be an experience that hopefully we-ll never forget,” the young striker explained.
