Good excited ahead of Newcastle trial

The remarkable rise of Melbourne Heart FC defender Curtis Good is poised to continue when he commences his trial with English Premier League high-flyers Newcastle United today.

Good, 19, travelled to England on Sunday night ahead of a 10-day trial with the Magpies, which will see the Young Socceroo train alongside the likes of Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Mark Viduka and Craig Moore and earn a transfer to St James Park.

Although like many emerging footballers, Good harbours ambitions of one day plying his trade in England-s top flight competition, the Melbourne-born starlet was modest when discussing his expectations ahead of the trial.

“I always wondered what it was like compared to Australia, but I didn-t expect it to happen this early, so I-m just going to enjoy the experience,” he said.

Good has earned widespread plaudits for his performances with Melbourne Heart FC throughout this season as the debutant made his mark on the Hyundai A-League.

Making 27 appearances, Good cemented himself as a future Socceroo, becoming a cornerstone of a Heart defence among the most miserly in the competition.

The trial though came as something of a surprise for Good, with the Australian Institute of Sport graduate only informed of his impending stint in Newcastle four days ago, prompting a hurried preparation for his trip abroad.

“It was organised through my manager. They saw me play, though I-m not sure if it was in the A-League or with the national team, but it just happened to come about,” he said.

“I didn-t even get a chance to tell (my team mates) as this developed really quickly. I only found out at the start of the weekend that I was to head over the next day.

“It-s just a short trial. I-ll just train and play games, and if they-re happy, I-ll hopefully get an offer, but if not, then I-ll just enjoy the experience.”