Boz’s wild theory as Barcelona bid for Socceroos teen
Lucas Herrington is on the verge of making Australian football history, with Barcelona reportedly trying to sign the gun teenage defender.
The 18-year-old Brisbane product is expected to start for the Socceroos in Sunday’s (AEST) World Cup opener against Turkiye in Vancouver.
Herrington on the ball against Mexico at the Rose Bowl. Getty Images
The Colorado Rapids centre back has established himself as one of the best young players in the United States’ MLS, where he is tasked with shutting down the likes of Lionel Messi.
The Athletic’s MLS insider Tom Bogert created a stir on Saturday when he reported that Barcelona were among a number of clubs interested in Herrington.
The Sydney Morning Herald then reported that Barcelona had already had a bid rejected by the Rapids.
The CIES Football Observatory estimates Herrington is worth between $23-$30 million.
Another Socceroos centre back, Harry Souttar, holds the Australian transfer record of $23m when Leicester City snapped him up after the 2022 World Cup.
No Australian has ever played for reigning La Liga champions Barcelona, one of the world’s most successful and truly iconic clubs.
Their squad includes superstars Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong.
Premier League outfit Everton and Championship side West Ham United are also reportedly interested in the composed and technically proficient teen.
Nine.com.au columnist Mark Bosnich, who was headhunted by Manchester United as a teenager, said the news could potentially be a distraction for Herrington.
Bosnich even suggested the reports could have been planted by a rival.
“Depends on what type of character you are,” Bosnich said on Stan Sport’s World Cup Daily.
“Being fortunate to being involved in the game at a high level for a very, very long time, you come accustomed to tricks. So this is one of the oldest tricks in the game. You unsettle the other team’s best player, or one of them, in certain ways.
“One of them is by flattery, you know, so and so’s interested... an agent might plant that story for other reasons. It can work the other way too. It can make the player feel 10 foot tall.
“Everyone’s different. It happened to a friend of mine once and he was hopeless. Happened to me once and I felt I was like 20 foot tall.
“I would handle it in a way to say, ‘well mate, if that’s true, then it shows how good you are.’ That’s how I would be handling it and saying to him. Other people might say, ‘look, don’t believe a word.’
Mark Bosnich signs for Manchester United. nna\sworthington
“You just don’t want to create uncertainty and doubt in the player’s mind. If he starts acting like John Travolta in Staying Alive, OK, you’ve got to cut him down a little bit, yeah. But if not, I would just go with it.”
Herrington has Finnish, German and Zimbabwean family heritage and made his Socceroos debut this year.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic, a former international centre back who played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace, said the sky was the limit.
“He can be really good,” Popovic said.
“He’s just started out, he’s doing so well… it is quite special at 18 to be doing what he’s doing.”
