Ryan Teague has established himself as one of the best and most talented players in the whole A-League this season. His remarkable on-field displays have captured the imagination both domestically and internationally. Teague, who creates a strong young midfield combo with Jordi Valadon, has been key to his team’s success thus far. His phenomenal play has increasingly marked him out as one of the form candidates for a senior call-up to the Socceroos. Defending champion Australia will be preparing for a tough tussle against China on Tuesday.
Her journey to reaching the top of the Australian soccer pyramid has certainly not gone unnoticed. Melbourne Victory then made contact to register their interest, which was confirmed to ESPN by Teague. That said, he’s very much still not taking his eyes off the ball of his current responsibilities. The Socceroos are likely to pick him up for their next international window against China, as well. He remained an unused substitute in Saudi Arabia’s scintillating 5-1 victory over Indonesia in the first round of FIFA World Cup qualification.
Interest in Teague doesn’t stop at Australia’s shores. The Chinese Football Association and Malaysian national team have made him the subject of furious pursuit. And my athlete, he can compete for China because of his maternal heritage. Aside from his family ties, his Malaysian roots were noticed by the Malaysian FA. This cross-national appreciation exemplifies the midfielder’s rising acclaim on the world stage.
Teague has gotten through all of these international overtures thanks to the experience of his new agent, who originally handled Malaysia’s aggressive recruitment of Teague. Teague would be eligible to represent several different nations. Through all of that, he remains enthusiastically, vibrantly Chinese, fiercely proud of that background and still inexorably connected to it.
Teague says that coach Popovic has a long-term vision in “staying on task” for the club’s immediate future with Melbourne Victory. He rightly focuses on short-term wins over the big vision.
"I feel like [Popovic] doesn't look too far ahead," – Mitch Duke
This optimistic direction is in keeping with Teague’s present-day perspective. He is still very much focused on the here and now and the limitless potential it continues to offer.
"He's approaching game by game, not allowing us to get too far ahead." – Mitch Duke
Teague's burgeoning career trajectory is further complicated by revelations about his eligibility to play for Malaysia due to his heritage.
"That was something that came up… because I have Malaysian heritage," – Mitch Duke
I’ve always kind of known that I was Native, but in a way I recently just came out as Native. This exposé deepens the mystery surrounding the most interesting international prospects.
"Which I didn't know until a couple of months ago — so that was new to me!" – Mitch Duke
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