Bryan Soane – One for the future

Many of the players who went to Singapore returned to continue their career path at home or to go further afield for a chance to further their progress.
Some, like Scott O?Donell and Darren Stewart, ended their playing days in the S-League with distinction and are now forging successful coaching careers in the island state or in the region.
Others, like Aleksandar Duric, an Aussie only briefly by citizenship after coming from Bosnia, now play for the Singapore national team, having taken Singapore citizenship.
Duric, who went to Singapore as a midfielder re-invented himself as an out-and-out striker, covering himself in glory while earning Golden Boot awards, Player of the Year gongs and club championship trophies as captain of Singapore Armed Forces FC honours he can look back on with immense pride when retirement looms, as surely it will soon, at the age of 38.
While Duric is coming to the end of his tenure as a player and many Australian-based players returned after deciding the S-League was not for them (Andre Gumprecht, Jim Bakis, Stewart Petrie and many others) and Brendon Santalab, a great favourite at Geylang United where he was a prolific scorer in only half a season there, went on to play in Europe, some young Australians are now looking at the S-League again as a springboard to an international future, or at least to a professional one.
Gombak United coach, Darren Stewart, is giving former Bonnyrigg White Eagles (NSW Super League) midfielder Goran Subara a chance and Balestier Khalsa have found an opening for ex-Sydney Wanderers (NSW Super League and First Division) striker, Bryan Soane.
Bryan Andrew Soane is only 20 and has been slowly building a reputation as a talented, attacking player as he made his way through the ranks at western Sydney clubs, playing first grade for Blacktown Spartans and most recently the St Johns? Park- based Sydney Wanderers where he picked up the club top scorers? award last winter.
Soane was then taken to Singapore in search of a contract.
After a couple of weeks there, in which he scored a few goals, Soane did enough to earn a contract with the Tigers and though adjusting to the different tempo and climate of the S-League is never easy for newcomers from cooler climes, Soane seems to have the right attitude to succeed.
He spared no effort in getting himself totally prepared and match fit for the demands made of a professional player.
Soane hails from the Penrith area and played most of his early football for the foot-of-the-mountains Emu Plains junior club, from Under sixes through to under 11s.
After that he was picked as a representative player for Penrith Panthers in their NSW Super Youth League side, coached by Tony Rassmussen, where he stayed in Under 12s, Under 13s and Under 14s.
He then moved on to Premier League Bankstown City Lions, at Under 15 level, performing again in the NSW Super Youth League.
He was fortunate enough to be picked in the squad that travelled to Spain for matches against Valencia and Real Madrid where he was given coaching by their youth coaches over a three week period and during his season with the Lions he was awarded Player of the Year in his age group.
Soane?s next move was to the prestigious Premier League club, Blacktown City Demons, where he played Under 16s and Under 18s, often on the same day, thanks to his fitness and versatility, being again a recipient of the Golden Boot award and the Player of the Year at his latest club.
At Under 18 level he was also involved with Blacktown?s Under 20 team with another Golden Boot in Under 18s to show for his efforts.
The other club in the area, Blacktown Spartans, gave him the chance to play first grade which he grabbed in 2006 and once again he won the Golden Boot; so scoring goals was never a problem for the youngster.
The last two seasons he has been with Sydney Wanderers, voted Player of the Year in 2007 and the club?s top scorer once again.
He also played with the club in their NSW Super League Under 18s in 2005, scoring 6 goals in 21 games and a further goal for the Under 20s.
After his season with Blacktown Spartans he rejoined Sydney Wanderers now in Division One and scored seven goals in 26 matches.
Last season he excelled himself with 14 goals in 21 matches for the senior side.  
Sydney Wanderers President, Charles Abdilla, said Soane was a player he was sorry to lose.
?He has done a good job for us at the Wanderers and we wish him well in Singapore.
?We?ll be very pleased to see him prosper over there.
At the Wanderers he was coached by canny Scot, Stewart Porter, himself a goal-poacher of renown with St George, Warringah Freshwater, Rockdale City Suns, Stanmore Hawks and Sutherland in a distinguished career.
Only increasing business commitments prevented Porter from establishing an equally long-standing coaching pedigree.
Porter had great success with clubs with limited budgets, including Sydney University, Sutherland and most recently Sydney Wanderers.
Porter has a high opinion of Bryan Soane, as became clear when we spoke to the former Sydney Wanderers? man, as he conducted yet another junior coaching clinic in Sydney.
?Bryan?s a big, strong boy, with heaps of pace and a tremendous shot; he should go a long way in the game,? said Porter.
?When he first shook my hand I realised how strong he was,? joked the Scot.
?He has a very impressive physique, works very hard at all aspects of his game, is very athletic and plays well anywhere up front.
?I could use him as a wide player on the right in a 4-4-2 system or otherwise as a centre forward, equally well.
?I was very happy with everything about him as a player and as a person. He has a great attitude to the game.
?If I had been able to continue coaching and not have to devote so much time to my business and to my young family I would have loved to have taken Bryan with me to a TeleChoice Premier League club if I was given another opportunity in the top division,? concluded Porter.
Soane stands at 183cm and weighs 76kg and won?t turn 21 until next July.
The player is ambitious, as his steady move through the ranks attests.
Maybe with the A-League looking for more talent from Asia opportunities for Australians to play again in Singapore will occur more frequently as trade both ways can only benefit the game in the region. 
If Soane hits the heights with Balestier and then goes on to play with a bigger club, or even moves later to Europe, he could be one of the first to help make that path from Australia to Singapore less overgrown and a well-trodden track once more.
-By Paul Goodwin