David Vrankovic’s first season in the Hyundai A-League may have highlighted the 19-year-old’s potential and progress.
David Vrankovic-s first season in the Hyundai A-League may have highlighted the 19-year-old-s potential and progress.
But instead of taking the opportunity through a “lucky break”, the central defender’s achievements were part of a goal-setting exercise which has seen him selected for the Young Socceroos.
Vrankovic was picked in Head Coach Paul Okon-s preliminary squad last week and he joined the training camp on the Central Coast yesterday.
Vrankovic is aiming to make the final cut for the upcoming FIFA under-20 World Cup in Turkey – a goal he set before the season commenced.
“At the start of the 2012-13 season we set goals as a team and one of my goals was to be selected in the squad for Turkey here at the Heart,” Vrankovic said.
“My first goal was to be selected in the qualifying squad for Dubai and the next one was for Turkey.
“It is something that everyone in this age group should be pushing to get into.”
Vrankovic-s first Young Socceroos camp was in June last year before he progressed to feature in the under-19 Asian Championships held in the United Arab Emirates last November.
“I started in June which was my first camp and then since then I have only missed one,” Vrankovic said.
However, Vrankovic believes with a clutch of new talent coming through the A-League ranks, he – along with other Melbourne Heart players Jeremy Walker and Benjamin Garuccio – cannot rest on their laurels.
“Everyone-s got an equal chance – everyone has an equal opportunity,” Vrankovic said.
“Usually at the first camps there are a lot of new faces where the likes of Jeremy Walker will be brought in because they have had a successful A-League season.
“It will be similar to what I did in June last year, I was given the opportunity and it is up to the individuals to take it.”
While the majority of Melbourne Heart’s first team will go on holiday for a six week break before returning to pre-season training in June, Vrankovic is looking forward to the extra commitments.
“At the moment I don-t really want any time out, I would rather keep focussed and keep fit but between camps there will be four or five days where I will be at home with my family and as well as doing my own training,” Vrankovic said.
“Everyone was given set their targets by Tommy [High Performance Manager Tom Reddin] and we have to come back in the right shape ready to go straight away.”
