Ben Kantarovski making the grade for Jets

Ben Kantarovski making the grade for Jets

At the time, van Egmond was working as Newcastle United's development officer, and part of his brief involved preparing an under 11 training squad for entry into the Sydney competition the following season.

A young midfielder from Broadmeadow Magic, with skills and poise beyond his years, caught his eye.

The Marqise Lee Jersey former is now coach of the Newcastle Jets, the reigning A League champions. The latter is the youngest player in A League history, having made Authentic Marqise Lee Jersey his debut against Central Coast in Friday's grand final rematch at the age of 16 years and 208 days.

Playing alongside Adam Griffiths as central defender, Kantarovski was cool, calm and collected and generally lived up to his reputation as one of Australian soccer's most promising prospects.

In the same week that Gold Coast Titans gambled by selecting 16 year old Jordan Rankin for his NRL debut, Kantarovski was going through a similar dream come true initiation with the Jets.

The Australian under 17 representative showed no sign of nerves, perhaps because he had been training with Newcastle's senior squad for the best part of 12 months and played a full game against Adelaide during the Pre Season Cup.

The faith of his coach should also have put him at ease.

Asked before the match whether it would be a gamble to select the youngster in the F3 derby, van Egmond replied with conviction: "If I play him, it won't be a Blake Bortles Jersey gamble. It's because he's earned it."

After the game, Kantarovski received a resounding thumbs up from the man who identified his talent five years ago and instantly realised it was a matter of when, not if, he started playing at professional level.

"There's no www.chargersnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-jeremiah-attaochu-je... deep end with Benny," van Egmond said. "He's a class act.

"He's only going to get better, which is a little bit frightening.

"He plays in the centre of midfield, but tonight he played at centre back and looked like he'd been doing it for a while.

"He's a very calm boy, technically good, very good attitude. I think the future's good for Ben."

The Lambton High School year 11 student celebrated with a couple of lemon squashes at Jets owner Con Constantine's Adamstown sports club, but before the weekend was out he was catching up on his study.

"We're very mindful of his education," van Egmond said. "At the start of the year we met with the principal, just to see how we could work it all in with his www.chargersnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-jason-verrett-jersey... HSC.

"We need to get the balance right for Ben, because Blake Bortles Jaguars Jersey his education is extremely important . . . he's quite academic, and I know his family want him to do well with his education."

Van Egmond described Kantarovski as a "level headed kid", and the youngster gave the impression his first taste of A League football was about as strenuous as a stroll around the school playground.

"I wasn't nervous at all," he said. "I was a bit cold that was about it. Other than that I felt at home.

"It was pretty much everything I had been looking forward to and training for. It wasn't too bad."

Juggling educational and sporting commitments is no bother, either.

"I think I've got a good mix," he said.

"I don't get bored after training, because I've always got some [school] work to do."

His classmates are apparently unlikely to treat him any differently after Friday night's milestone.

"I'm just another kid, but they like to take the piss out of me," he said with a laugh.

Asked what his long term goals were, Kantarovski replied: "Just to get a starting spot in the A League and see where that takes me. Maybe overseas wherever."

And if Jets fans are excited about Kantarovski's potential, the news just gets better he has two brothers, Alex (15) and Michael (13), who are both regulars in junior rep teams.