Lucas Herrington can reel off the names of the superstar attackers he has marshalled like he is reciting his times tables. Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller and Son Heung-min are just some of the talents the Socceroos teenage centre-back has faced in front of big crowds with Colorado Rapids in the MLS this year.
Unfazed by Salah Threat
So the prospect of going one-on-one with Egypt star Mohamed Salah, if fit after his hamstring strain, and his partner-in-crime Omar Marmoush at the World Cup does not faze Herrington, 18, one bit. Neither does attracting interest from Barcelona, something that happened before he had even kicked a ball at the World Cup.
"I am just trying to stay present and really enjoy this moment," Herrington, now the youngest ever Socceroos World Cup starter, said. "It is my first World Cup, hopefully first of many, but it does not come around very often. It comes around every four years, so I am really just trying to enjoy every moment here, just put my best foot forward, and just work hard and we will see what comes after it."
A-League Costly Decision
Brisbane Roar sold their sell-on clause for Herrington to the Rapids for $560,000, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, a decision that appears set to cost the A-Leagues club millions. "They will probably be kicking themselves," teammate Connor Metcalfe said.
Herrington has a calm and wise head on his shoulders that the football world is relishing. His unfazed response to life-changing transfer interest reflects the on-field calmness and composure that has his senior teammates in awe.
"Nothing really fazes him, he never looks nervous. I am not nervous when he has the ball," Metcalfe said. "Sometimes if a young player is playing, a lot of the other boys can be nervous they are going to make a rash decision. But he is calm on the ball."
Natural Calmness
Herrington, who laughs when asked if anything makes him nervous, says of his calmness: "It is not something that I sort of work on. I think it might just come naturally." The 18-year-old has been totally unflappable, including on his dream debut against Paraguay last week, when he shone in a high-stakes encounter he described as "the best moment of my life".
"I knew how important that game was, not just for us but for the whole country," Herrington said. "So obviously I knew the pressure that was in that game and I knew there was pressure on all of us. So I was looking forward to it. Obviously I had dreamed of that moment since I was a kid and I just really wanted to embrace it, enjoy it."
Looking Ahead
Herrington still pinches himself that he is here, something he could not have foreseen even six months ago. And if Salah is fit for the Round of 32 clash in Arlington, Texas on Friday (4am Saturday AEST), Herrington hopes that test is coming his way. "It is nice to (face) players like that. Really, that is where you want to be, that is who you want to (face)," Herrington said. "So to be given that opportunity, hopefully, it will be special, and I cannot wait."
