By ADEM SARICAOGLU
ANTHONY Laus is in the middle of Year 11 at Maribyrnong College, but very soon he’s going to find himself in the thick of the action at a top English Premier League club.
The gun 16-year-old Altona Meadows striker will relocate to northern England in July to join Sunderland on a two-year scholarship after successfully trialling with the club in February.
A former Melbourne Victory youth team member, Laus admitted the month he spent at Sunderland was an eye-opener.
“It was intimidating but after the first few days I started to settle in,” Laus said of his experience.
“Everything’s just so much different over there (and) everything’s a lot quicker, so it took me a few days to get used to that.
“It’s a lot more physical than it is down here.
“Your fitness levels have to be high, you have to be really fit to play, because it’s just non-stop for the whole 90 minutes and there’s really no stopping. You can’t switch off at all.”
However Laus eventually flourished in the foreign environment and ended up getting what he came for.
As part of the scholarship he’ll continue his schooling in England while training at Sunderland, with the hope of breaking into the under-18s team.
And while Laus hopes it will all work out for the best and lead to a professional career, he admits making the decision to leave his family and move to the other side of the planet wasn’t easy.
“It’s scary but it’s something I want to do and been wanting to do for a long time, so I’ll make the sacrifice,” Laus said.
“They’re great facilities and it’s a great club, and if you really want to excel then it’s probably one of the best things to do.
“It was a difficult decision to make, the fact that I’m moving away from home.
“But then again playing professional football’s my dream, so it’s something I’m going to do regardless.”
Laus has been part of Maribyrnong College’s Sports Academy since Year 7 but the journey didn’t come without any hiccups.
Ankle problems kept Laus off the pitch for a significant period of time, forcing him to combine his studies with extensive rehab during school hours.
The soccer program’s technical director Arthur Papas labelled Laus a “model professional”, and commended him for his commitment to the rehab process.
“At that stage he could’ve been lost to the game,” Papas said.
“Because if he didn’t get himself back to a level that he could be fit and healthy, who cares how much talent he’s got, he’s finished.”
