The rapid rise of Jordan Bos has already earned him a national team call-up and comparisons to a Socceroos great but the laidback Melbourne City young gun is only just getting started.
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The marauding left-back, 20, has taken Scott Jamieson's role at City in a brilliant A-League Men breakout season, shifting the skipper into central defensive or midfield roles.
It's a breakthrough that has brought national selection for this month's friendlies against Ecuador - with Bos' call-up looking sure to be the first of many.
"I've just been impressed with him probably for a year-and-a-half, not just the last month or so," Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said.
"He's got great attacking skills as a left full-back.
"He can get high, get forward and get some good crosses in the box. And he's physically a good specimen for what we need. He's a completely different player to Aziz Behich.
"I don't think I've seen one like this since Scott Chipperfield. I hate to put a name on it, but he's a very, very similar player to Scotty.
"He gives you that extra way that we can play that maybe we don't need to play with an inverted fullback."
The 20-year-old admitted he had been focused on cracking the Olyroos squad but now has his sights set on becoming a key part of the senior Socceroos over the next World Cup cycle.
"It's amazing when people compare me to such good players and have high expectations," Bos said.
"But I just try to focus on today and don't let it get to my head. Just keep pushing every day.
"Hopefully next World Cup I'll have made my mark a little bit, hopefully I'm a consistent member as well and get the call-up for that.
"But for now, I just have to focus on this camp and show the coaching staff and the country what I can do."
Teammate and former Burnley youngster Aiden O'Neill, who also earned a debut Socceroos call-up on the back of a stellar ALM season, expects Bos to kick on.
"He's got everything to play at the top," O'Neill said.
"I've been overseas and been involved with a Premier League team and I can honestly say he would slot into that and be able to play week-in week-out in that division.
"He's got a very bright future ahead of him."
The modest but confident Bos hopes to head to Europe once his campaign with City finishes.
"You can't really be certain until you get there," he said.
"But I think I'd give it a good crack and I think I'm ready for the next step."
Australian Associated Press
