But at the end of next month the 17-year-old striker will complete a remarkable rise when he lines up for Sydney FC's youth team in the new national youth league.

A-League team Sydney FC has signed two Canberra players, Danning and Sam Munro, 18, for its inaugural season in the national youth league. Both Danning and Munro have been with the AIS team for the past year, but Danning only started a full scholarship this year.

After playing for Canberra FC and then the O'Connor Knights in the ACT premier league, Danning was invited to train with the AIS squad last year and impressed then coach Steve O'Connor and now current coach Ray Junna enough to claim a full scholarship.

Now Sydney FC youth coach, O'Connor was quick to snap up the Ghana-born Danning for the youth league team making the transition from ACT premier league to Sydney FC in around a year.

''He's certainly got potential,'' O'Connor said.

''He's very athletic, he's very quick and can play with both feet. He still has work to do in the fine technical points of the game and can better his technique in areas but they are all things you can keep working on.

''If he is serious about his game he can make an impact.''

Munro who was born in Sydney but has been in Canberra as part of the Capital Football Academy and ACTAS programs for the past few years - is currently overseas with the Young Socceroos team in Japan. Fellow Canberran AIS scholarship-holder Dane Milovanovic is also in the squad.

''They are both good players and they both have potential,'' O'Connor said. ''I obviously had them for some time when I was down there, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to play in the youth league.''

O'Connor said he expected both Munro and Danning to play important roles in Sydney FC's youth team. Danning will fly in for each game and remain with the AIS for another year while Munro is likely to move to Sydney.

The national youth league will start on the last weekend of September.