BEN van Dorssen was 15 when first selected for and Australian team training camp.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Four years later, the promising Newcastle Jets centreback will finally get a chance to wear the green and gold.
Van Dorssen is in the Young Socceroos squad to contest the 2024 ASEAN under-19 boys' championships in Indonesia from July 17-29.
The tournament, which Australia last won in 2019, is a precursor to 2025 under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers in September.
"I have been working for a while to try and get into an Australian team," van Dorssen said. "There was a domestic camp in Sydney in May but I missed the squad that went to South America. I have been to quite a few camps, going back to when I was in the under-16s and 17s with the Joeys. That was during COVID and they didn't play many games. I haven't had the chance to represent."
The Young Socceroos have been drawn in Group B alongside Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for the 12-team tournament.
"This is a good opportunity to show what I can do," van Dorssen said. "I have been working for a while towards it. The camp in May gave everyone an insight into how the team plays. I have been around the team for a while and know [coach] Trevor Morgan pretty well."
Selection continues a big couple of months for van Dorssen.
The 19-year-old signed a scholarship deal with the Jets last month.
As well as train full-time with the A-League squad, van Dorssen is captain of the youth team which are unbeaten in NSW NPL2 and poised to earn promotion.
Before national team selection, Van Dorssen was in senior coach Rob Stanton's plans for the Australia Cup qualifier against Western United in Darwin on July 24.
"I've got a lot to learn, but it's encouraging knowing that Rob has trust in youth," van Dorseen said.
Van Dorssen trained regularly with the senior team under Arthur Papas in the 2022-23 season. He was 17 at the time and about to begin year 12 at Lambton High.
"It all became a bit much with year 12 and the HSC," he said. "When you are young, you are not as involved in the sessions, it is more an experience thing."
Now 19 and in the first year of a civil engineering degree at Newcastle University, van Dorssen is far better prepared this time around.
"I am much more involved in the sessions," he said.
Stanton has been impressed with van Dorssen's progress.
"It is good for Newcastle to see a local boy get picked for a national team," the coach said. "It hasn't happened for a while. It is a positive step.
"I put that down to good work by the academy and youth team. Damien Zane has been doing a terrific job.
"The only disappointing thing is that Ben will miss the Australia Cup [qualifier]. There will be other opportunities for him, especially in the preseason.
"He is understanding senior football a lot better. He is going to get better and better and better over the course of the year, working with the senior players.
"Physically he is good. He has to further develop his game, decision making and things like that when he is put in more difficult situations."
Meanwhile, Northern NSW under-16 girls went down 4-0 to NSW Metro in the final of the Natinional championships on Monday.
The Northern NSW under-15 girls lost the play-off for third on penalties to Victoria after scores were 1-all at full-time.
Northern's Caoimhe Bray was named keeper of the tournament in the under-15s.
