Canberra's seemingly endless production line of talented youngsters rolls on with 17-year-old striker Jordan Tsekenis set to join Sydney FC's National Youth League team.
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The Australian Schoolboys representative has verbally agreed to join the Sky Blues and will begin training with the squad at the start of September. Tsekenis is the leading goal-scorer in the Capital Football National Premier League under-20s competition, adding another two to his tally in a 3-1 win on Sunday for the Senior National Training Centre (NTC) team against the Cooma Tigers.
After spending a week and half on trial with the under-18 squad of English Championship club Reading last year, Tsekenis said he was delighted at the chance to learn under former Socceroo Steve Corica in the Sydney FC NYL team.
"I want to improve my skills and I hope Steve and the rest of the coaching staff will be able to provide that for me,'' Tsekenis said.
''The trial at Reading was a good experience.
"It was very intense compared to what we have in Australia.
"It gave me an idea of where I need to be at, so I've tried to step it up.''
The Erindale College year 12 student will have a familar face alongside him when he moves to Sydney FC in defender George Timotheou.
The pair were teammates at the ACT Academy of Sport program, Timotheou progressing to the AIS while Teskenis continued his development in the senior NTC squad for the past two years.
Timotheou has been with the Sky Blues for the past few months and made an appearance for their A-League team in a recent pre-season friendly against English Premier League club West Ham.
Capital Football technical director Warren Grieve said Tsekenis could play out wide, but had all the attributes to be a quality centre forward.
"He's got frightening pace and an eye for goal,'' Grieve said.
''We had to convert him into a No. 9 because we didn't have anyone who could play centrally.
''He's always been able to work with his back to goal and knows when to move into space.''
Grieve said the recruitment of Tsekenis and Timotheou showed there was a need for Canberra to have its own team in the NYL.
''It's unfortunate because there is a hell of a lot of talent that is overlooked,'' Grieve said.
''We're trying to build the relationship with A-League clubs closer to home.''
Sydney FC will be coming to Canberra when the A-League glamour club takes on Canberra FC in a pre-season friendly at Deakin Stadium on September 10.
