JETS coach Carl Robinson expects Angus Thurgate to be "on the plane" to the Tokyo Olympics next year and has spoken to Olyroos coach Graham Arnold about the promising midfielder.
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Thurgate and Matt Millar are finalists for the A-League Young Player of the Year which will be announced online on Thursday night.
Adelaide midfielder Riley McGree and Melbourne City keeper Thomas Glover are the favourites for the gong which is presented to the best player aged 23 or under.
McGree was captain of the Olyroos before he was suspended for an off the park incident and Glover is the under-23 national team keeper.
Millar, who turned 24 in August, is too old for the Olyroos.
Thurgate was a central figure in the Young Socceroos side which missed out on a place at the FIFA under-20 World Cup last year but is yet to make the step up.
Jets left back Connor O'Toole was part of the side which finished third at the under-23 Asian Championships to book a spot in Tokyo.
"If you ask me if I think Gus is good enough? Yes I do," Robinson said. "I have spoken to Graham Arnold about a number of our players. Gus, Johnny Koutroumbis, Connor and Kosta Petratos are in the pool of players Graham will have at his disposal. I said Gus should be knocking on the your door and should be in that group of players who want to go to the Olympics. I'll be pushing him but I think he should be on that plane. He is playing regular football at a high level. If there are players who pip him, they have to be playing at a very good level as well. "
Thurgate was awarded the young player of the year monthly winner for November after scoring the match-winner against Western United and another goal in a 2-0 win over Wanderers.
The 20-year-old, who was used as a makeshift striker in November, has taken his game to a new level under Robinson.
"With Angus, based upon the last ten games, I think he thoroughly deserves to be in the top five or six young players," Robinson said. "He should be proud of that and I want more from him."
Thurgate, after being used as a utility under Ernie Merrick, has played exclusively in the centre of the park since Robinson took the reins.
"I am an advocate of young players being multi-functional," Robinson said. "You get to an age where you need a bit of clarity on where you are going to play.
"Gus was pretty easy because I thought he had the attributes to be a No.8. A No.8 is a connecting player but he has legs which means he can get up and down, be in the little pockets to get on the half turn and to try and score goals. I think he has been very unlucky in relation to goals. He hit the post in the last game and prior to that against the Central Coast he had three or four decent chances as well. He gets chances every game. When you get a player like that, you need to put them in attacking areas. He has energy galore.
"What he needed to do was believe in himself. By me instilling confidence into him, and giving him the platform to play - encouraging him and teaching him - I think that is where he has grown."
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James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
