Wizards of Aus put to the test

ATHLETIC could be set to join far more illustrious clubs in becoming a global concern.

They have already joined Hungarian club MTK Budapest in a partnership which has seen Athletic sign seven teenagers, most of whom are under-19 internationals, on season-long loans.

And hot on the heels of that agreement is a new link with Australian club Maccabi Hakoah.

The Sydney-based side, which is located in the eastern suburbs close to Bondi Beach, has a flourishing youth programme.

And to encourage their development, one of their sponsors has agreed to fund overseas training for outstanding players.

Athletic were the first club to offer their facilities and this week three of the Aussie youngsters are working at Boundary Park.

The one senior player is Laurence Braude, an Australian under-19 player who operates as a wide midfield player or winger.

The two others are 14-year-old left-sided midfield player Robbie Ezekiel and 13-year-old defender Gilad Swartz, who are training with the centre of excellence.

“We are very grateful to Oldham Athletic for opening their doors to us, and we hope we can reciprocate by providing a pool of talented young players from a new and reliable source,” a spokesman for the Aussie club said.

Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy admitted there could be hurdles to overcome if they ever tried to sign players from an Australian club.

He believes it would be almost impossible to get work permits for them unless they were dual nationals or holders of a European Union passport.