There was a moment nine years ago that told one coach that Lucas Herrington was destined to don the Socceroos’ colours, and would not remain on Australian shores for long.
Already equipped with a wild afro – though not quite as big as the 18-year-old has now – the boy had signs of class that led Scott MacNicol to quietly note the rising star was a cut above the rest.
“I saw him when he was about nine for Brisbane City, he was playing against my club at Rochedale, and you saw a talent in him back then,” MacNicol told this masthead.
“You just saw his football intelligence was amazing back then, he had a presence about him and calmness that is still shown today.
“He was such a good technical player, and what you see now is what he was back then – a fantastic player on the ball, and nothing fazed him.”
Last month Herrington made history as the youngest Australian to start a World Cup match. He showcased a level of composure that belied his tender years, helping inspire a draw against Paraguay to book a spot in the knockout stages.
He has now already been linked to a lucrative move to Barcelona, having just transferred to the Colorado Rapids six months ago from the Brisbane Roar for what as a club-record fee of around $1 million.
Herrington’s journey to cult hero status began before his birth, when his parents moved from Zimbabwe searching for a better life. It was at Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) that MacNicol took the boy under his wing.
Herrington guided the team to the final four of the Australia-wide Bill Turner Cup, before becoming the “rock” of their GPS premiership the following year.
Historic wins – and goals – against St Joseph’s Nudgee College on their own turf for the first time, and Ipswich Grammar, featured on Herrington’s highlights reel.
“It would have been easy for him not to play GPS football and concentrate on his professional career, but he played every game he was available and never missed a training session,” MacNicol said.
“He was a constant support for the players, so I think the biggest thing he’s done is left the program in a great place.”
Once he arrived at the Roar, he caught the eye of his mentor Sekou Jomanday.
Jomanday remembers a 16-year-old in Brisbane’s youth pathways who was humble off the field, and embodied a beacon of confidence once he stepped onto it.
Speaking ahead of the Socceroos round of 32 clash with Egypt, Jomanday said it was immediately evident the young defender possessed traits that separated him from other hopefuls.
“The first thing I noticed about him was how good he was on the ball for a centre back, you don’t see that often,” Jomanday said.
“The passes he’s doing now, he was doing it back then, and you thought ‘woah, how is he doing this?’
“He was just so focused and so good at taking information. You could tell Lucas, ‘I want you to do this and that,’ and he would go and do it.
“He would come to me for advice and ask, ‘what you think about this player?’ And we’d provide the information – their strengths and weaknesses, how you can exploit their weaknesses, and where to protect yourself – and he would take the information and execute it even better.”
The scary thing, Jomanday said, was there were still plenty of heights for him to scale, but he had an exceptional ability to cover slight downfalls in his game – such as his speed.
“He’s so intelligent that he reads the game two or three steps ahead, and he doesn’t get exposed in that aspect [speed]. To reach the top level, he still needs to grow from a physical standpoint, he needs to be stronger, but in terms of pace … that’s something he will adapt to,” he said.
“I know him very well, and he will adapt to situations and how quick the game is moving because he’s so intelligent.”
Herrington only graduated from school last year, but continues to send in video messages of support for the next crop of talent emerging under MacNicol’s tutelage.
Since his relocation he has had star showings for Colorado, and the chance to battle Argentina superstar Lionel Messi when the South American legend guided Inter Miami to a 3-2 win.
Such was his importance to the Brisbane backline, the club kept six clean sheets from 11 games before he departed for America – a feat they only replicated in a 0-0 draw with Sydney FC in their next 15 encounters.
Despite the fanfare, Herrington and his family have remained humble – his father declining an interview request with this masthead to avoid the spotlight.
“Lucas is the same on and off the pitch, he’s even quieter and more humble, you never catch him raising his voice. He’s just as level-headed, so if he’s anxious, he’s good at hiding it,” Jomanday said.
MacNicol added: “He’s fantastic on the ball and his game intelligence is amazing, but it’s also his leadership as a young player. You can see him talking to the older players in the Socceroos, and that’s something quite rare with young players.
“They’re a bit shy to say things, but he has that leadership about him already.”
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