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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Mon Aug 09 2010 - 12:24:28 EDT
Gold Coast United hope they have a young superstar in the wings
Marco Monteverde From: The Courier-Mail August 04, 2010 9:27PM
IF ALL goes to plan this season, it should no longer come as a shock to
Golgol Mebrahtu that an A-League coach knows his name.
In fact, if the Gold Coast United excitement machine meets the expectations
of Miron Bleiberg, there won't be one A-League mentor who will have trouble
recalling his made-for-football moniker.
But the soon-to-be 20-year-old Mebrahtu admits he is still coming to terms
with his meteoric rise to a top-flight contract with the glamour side of
the competition.
You get the feeling he would still be just as happy kicking a ball around by
himself at Davies Park at West End, where he first met United coach Bleiberg
in November 2008.
''I was just training by myself one morning at a local park, and he came
along in his Mercedes,'' Mebrahtu recalled.
''I was jogging around thinking `Wow, I've seen this fellow on TV'. I popped
over to say hello and said, 'Are you Miron Bleiberg?' He said, 'Yeah, you're
Golgol, right?'.
''I was really shocked that he knew my name.''
Bleiberg had seen Mebrahtu play for the Brisbane Strikers in the Brisbane
Premier League, but it was only by chance that he bumped into the teenage
flyer that morning.
He had driven to West End to catch the helicopter of United's billionaire
owner Clive Palmer to the Gold Coast.
Having already been captivated by the talent Mebrahtu had displayed for the
Strikers, Bleiberg was impressed with the then 18-year-old's obvious
dedication in training on his own in the park.
He was quick to invite the former Brisbane State High School student to
train with the Gold Coast and by June the following year, Mebrahtu was
offered a National Youth League deal.
''He had never trained professionally, but when he comes to you in the first
pre-season training session and is by far the quickest and by far has the
best vertical jump, you realise that there is material to work with,''
Bleiberg said.
''Then you realise he's skilful, talented, intelligent and happy to learn
and you know that you've got a jewel in the crown.''
Mebrahtu's deal has now been upgraded to a full-time A-League contract, with
the Eritrean-born, Sudan-raised talent tipped to take the competition by
storm this season.
''I hope to bring some exciting football to the team, entertain the fans,
but at the same time produce and help the team win the championship, and
maybe score some goals along the way,'' Mebrahtu said.
His team ethic is perhaps garnered from being part of a large family used to
pulling together in times of need.
The fifth of seven children, Mebrahtu fled Sudan for Brisbane with his
mother, father and his six siblings 10 years ago in search of a happier
existence.
''We came over in 2000 for a better life and better opportunities. My
parents thought it would be better to bring us up here,'' he said.
''I've moved to the Gold Coast now for my football, but I try to get back to
Brisbane as often as I can. It's important to me having grown up in a big
family to be around them.''
But it is his loved ones who will be making the trip in the opposite
direction on Sunday when Gold Coast United host Brisbane Roar in the M1
Derby at Robina's Skilled Park.
Bleiberg can't guarantee that Mebrahtu will start, but indicated he will be
unleashed on the Roar at some stage.
That's fine by Mebrahtu, who is willing to bide his time behind United's
star striking duo Shane Smeltz and Joel Porter, who between them scored 24
of the Coast's 39 goals last season.
''Having Shane and Joel in the squad, it's difficult to get a central spot
in attack,'' he said. ''I'll do whatever Miron thinks is best for the team.
Out wide I like it as well. I get to take on players and cut in, and get
some assists or some goals.
''Hopefully I can keep learning and improving. It's little areas like my
heading, or whether I should take one touch sometimes, two touches other
times, dribble sometimes. Little things like that will shape me as a
player.''
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