Ross Papadakis 
Harry Souttar walking out for the Socceroos. Photo: Provided by Aleksandar Jason/Socceroos.
Just one week into life at Sheffield United, Harry Souttar was given the captaincy, leading the team to a 4-2 EFL Cup victory over League One side Wrexham.
To walk out in the first XI after almost 11 months since his last club start will be a massive relief to the towering centre back.
Souttar played the full match, showcasing his aerial prowess with a key contribution to the Blades’ 4th goal, a great start to life with Sheffield. However, there is still room to grow, with his playing time limited to 14 minutes in the following Championship match against Queens Park Rangers.
Consistent minutes will be key as he looks to hold onto his place as a regular starter in the national team, now that many others are stepping up to provide competition, none more so than Alessandro Circati.
Like father like son
Joining a select few compatriots to play in Serie A, Circati made his top-flight debut for Parma Calcio in their 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, this week.
The occasion held even greater significance for Circati, whose father donned the Parma colours in the mid-90s. While a draw isn’t telling of Parma’s performance, Circati’s debut marks a major milestone for both himself and Australian football.
Following in the footsteps of iconic Socceroos Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano, Circati becomes just the third Australian to represent Parma in Serie A.
This accomplishment adds another chapter to the growing legacy of Australian footballers making their mark on the biggest stages in Europe.
Ipswich Back in the Big Leagues
Also making his maiden appearance in a top five European league, Massimo Luongo made his Premier League debut for Ipswich Town in their opening match, losing 2-0 to Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
As Ipswich Town returned to the top division for the first time since 2001/02, the former Tottenham Hotspur youth player was a key figure in Kieran McKenna’s side as they achieved back-to-back promotions.
Despite a 2-0 loss, both Luongo and Town can keep their head held high with a lot of promising signs.
Irankunda’s pre-season promise
Nestory Irankunda concluded his promising pre-season with Bayern Munich, contributing five goal involvements in just four matches.
His impressive form continued into the final first-team friendly, where he replaced Harry Kane at halftime and provided an assist in the team’s 3-0 victory over Austrian first-division side, WSG Tirol.
Named on the bench for Bayern Munich’s DFB Pokal victory over SSV Ulm 1846, there’s plenty of reason for optimism heading towards the upcoming Bundesliga season for the young star.
Spurs Stumble & Muscat’s Magic Ends
Ange Postecoglou started his 2024/25 Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Leicester City. Ange’s Spurs went up just before the half through a Pedro Porro goal, however former Premier League Golden Boot winner, Jamie Vardy equalised just after the half.
“Usually in my second season I win things,” he told Sky Sports. “That’s the whole idea. The first year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully the second year is going on to win things.”
Last season, Postecoglou won three Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month awards in a row, but Spurs were unable to sustain the pace and finished fifth.
Kevin Muscat’s unbelievable unbeaten run has come to an end after his Shanghai Port lost out to city rivals, Shanghai Shenhua 3-1.
The result brought the club’s record of consecutive wins to 18 in all competitions to a halt, as their attention now turns to this Thursday with a clash against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger F.C in the Quarter Final of the Chinese FA Cup.
What Next for Kuol and Hrustic?
Both Newcastle United’s Garang Kuol and Hellas Verona’s Ajdin Hrustic have not been allocated squad numbers for their respective upcoming 2024/25 campaigns, sparking speculation about their futures.
Eddie Howe’s plans for Kuol seem relatively unknown. With a couple of unfortunate loan deals to Scotland and the Netherlands already under his belt, Kuol’s best option may be to play for the Magpies’ U21 side, developing through their youth system.
However, with no appearances for Hellas Verona in either preseason or competitive action, it appears increasingly likely that Hrustic’s future lies away from his Italian club.
Magnificent Mabil
Awer Mabil produced a sensational performance as Grasshopper Club Zürich annihilated fifth-division side FC Regensdorf by a staggering 9 goals to nil in the Round of 64 of the Swiss Cup.
Mabil was simply unplayable, directly contributing to eight of his team’s goals. He netted a hat-trick and provided five assists, numbers that don’t come around all that often in competitive fixtures.
Mabil has also played all of Grasshopper’s opening four games in the Swiss Super League.
Robertson in the Championship
Carrying the legacy left by his uncle Gavin Rae, Alexander Robertson made a promising start to life at Cardiff City. The young midfielder made his debut in the EFL Cup, contributing to the Bluebirds’ 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers.
While his initial appearance was encouraging, opportunities in the Championship have been limited thus far as he was an unused substitution in Cardiff’s 5-0 loss to Burnley.
Dutch giants slain
Max Balard’s NAC Breda has made a stunning start to the Eredivisie season, upsetting Dutch giants Ajax in a 2-1 victory.
The former Central Coast Mariner has been instrumental in the newly promoted side’s impressive beginning, playing every minute of their Eredivisie campaign so far.