Why Your Child’s Level in Australia Doesn’t Matter Before Europe

By Alan Deriard
Football Agent | Founder of Elite Football

Every Week, Parents Ask the Same Question

Every week, parents ask me and my team the same thing:

“How do you know my son’s level before sending him overseas?”

The short answer?

It doesn’t really matter.

Unless your child is clearly not ready, which is a very small minority, most players in Australia sit somewhere in the middle. They’re not miles off. They’re not obvious stars either. They’re in that large average bracket where opinions become subjective very quickly.

And that’s exactly why this question gets people stuck.

Because when it comes to signing overseas with a professional club, no one’s opinion in Australia is the deciding factor.

Not your local coach.
Not your academy.
Not your mate in football.
And not even mine.

My opinion might carry more weight than most because I’ve seen what happens when players actually land in Europe, but even then, it still isn’t the thing that determines whether they sign.

What matters is what happening when the player gets there.

This Question Is Usually Not About Football

Let’s be honest.

When parents ask this question, it usually isn’t really about football.

It’s about comfort.

Parents want reassurance. That makes sense. You want someone to tell you that your son or daughter is special, that they’re ready, that they’ve got a real chance, and that this dream is realistic.

That emotional need is exactly why so many dodgy agencies and operators take advantage of families.

They tell you what you want to hear.

They’ll say things like:

• “Your son is definitely ready.”
• “He has a very high chance.”
• “He could absolutely go pro.”
• “He’s better than most players we see.”

And then they take your money.

That’s the part no one wants to say out loud.

The Truth Most People Won’t Tell You

Here’s the truth.

Football is like the stock market.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Warren Buffett or your uncle giving advice at the barbecue. No one knows exactly what’s going to happen next.

There are too many variables.

A player’s success overseas depends on things like:

• Performance at the right time
• The right coach watching
• The right club fit
• Mental strength under pressure
• Adaptation to a new environment
• Timing
• Confidence
• Luck

Because there are so many variables, obsessing over getting a perfect read on a player’s level before they go overseas is a waste of time.

That certainty doesn’t exist.

It’s a fantasy.

Why Opinions in Australia Are Not Enough

Every year, we run events across Australia and bring over top clubs and coaches from Spain.

They watch players in person.
They assess them directly.
And usually, within 30 minutes, they can give a pretty strong thumbs up or thumbs down.

Most of the time, they’re right.

But not always.

And this is where it gets interesting.

I’ve been doing this for close to a decade. We’ve held events in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and across the country. I’ve seen players get poor evaluations from one coach or club, then go overseas to a different club and absolutely flourish.

So how do you explain that?

Because it happens far more often than people think.

At these events, I can have three professional coaches watching the same player, plus my full staff, and you’ll still get multiple different opinions on the same two-day trial.

Same player.
Same sessions.
Different conclusions.

That should tell you everything.

Why My Philosophy Changed

When I first started as an agent, I thought good players were good investments.

Simple.

If someone was dominating at NPL level, I assumed they’d be a smart bet overseas.

So, we backed some very strong players. Top NPL performers. Players who looked like obvious prospects on paper.

Then they went overseas and completely crumbled.

They missed their mum.
They missed their girlfriend.
They missed home comforts.
They couldn’t handle the pressure.

At the time, it surprised me.

But then I saw the opposite happen too.

I had a player early in my career who, if I’m being brutally honest, I thought was bang average. Nothing special. He needed help, paid his own way, went overseas, adapted well, stayed steady, and ended up getting offered a one-year scholarship.

That happened with very little help from my side after he landed.

That moment changed my perspective on football forever.

Because I realised something important:

The player who signs is not always the one who looks best in Australia.
Often, it’s the one who handles the environment best overseas.

What Actually Matters When a Player Goes Overseas

This is the real question parents should be asking:

• Can my child handle pressure?
• Can they adapt to a new culture?
• Can they keep performing when they’re homesick?
• Can they stay focused when no one is holding their hand?
• Can they respond well when things don’t go their way?

Because that is what usually determines whether they sign or not.

Not someone’s opinion back home.

Not a coach saying they’re one of the better players in the squad.

Not whether they dominate locally.

The game changes when they land overseas.

Exposure Matters More Than Validation

This is why I believe exposure matters more than opinions.

The goal is not to sit around endlessly trying to get reassurance from people in Australia.

The goal is to get the player in front of as many genuine opportunities as possible.

Because the more clubs a player gets exposed to, the better chance they have of finding the right fit.

That fit matters more than people realise.

A player can look average at one club and excellent at another.

A coach might love one profile, and another coach might reject it.

That’s football.

So instead of obsessing over whether one person rates your son highly enough, the smarter mindset is this:

How do we maximise exposure and opportunity so the right club can find the right player?

That’s the real game.

Why We Built Elite Football This Way

This is exactly why we built Elite Football the way we did.

We focus on giving players:

• repeated chances
• multiple clubs
• different pathways
• more opportunities to be seen

Because one opinion should never decide a player’s future.

And one bad evaluation should never close the door on a dream.

I didn’t build this agency just for the obvious top NPL boys.

I built it for the overlooked players too.

The amateurs.
The late developers.
The kids who never had a real pathway.
The ones who needed opportunity more than praise.

That matters to me because I understand what it means to come through without a clear path.

The Comfort Blanket Parents Need to Let Go Of

At the end of the day, obsessing over your child’s level before they go overseas is often just a comfort blanket.

It feels safer to ask for certainty.

It feels safer to ask someone to confirm they’re ready.

But this industry doesn’t work like that.

If you want the biggest window of opportunity, there has to be risk involved.

That’s the nature of football.

It is one of the most competitive industries in the world.

And the players who give themselves the best chance are usually the ones willing to:

• risk discomfort
• adapt quickly
• expose themselves to opportunities
• keep going without guarantees

That mindset matters far more than local validation.

What Parents Should Remember

So, remember this:

Your child’s level in Australia is not the main thing that matters.

No one’s opinion here is the final answer.

What matters is how they perform when they land overseas.

How they adapt.
How they compete.
How they respond under pressure.
How they handle reality when it stops feeling exciting and starts feeling hard.

That’s what separates players.

And if anyone tells you they can fully predict success before a player gets overseas, they’re kidding themselves.

Final Thoughts

Parents naturally want certainty.

I understand that.

But football doesn’t offer certainty.

It offers opportunity.

And sometimes the best thing you can do is stop chasing reassurance and start chasing exposure.

Because in the end, the players who make it are not always the most hyped. They’re the ones who adapt, endure, and perform when it counts.

That’s the truth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my child’s level in Australia matter before going overseas?

It matters to a point, but for most players sitting in the average competitive bracket, local opinions are not the deciding factor. What matters more is how the player performs and adapts once overseas.

Can coaches in Australia accurately predict whether a player will sign overseas?

Not with certainty. Different coaches can have completely different opinions on the same player. Overseas success depends on many variables beyond local form.

What matters most for overseas football trials?

Mentality, adaptability, resilience, and performance under pressure matter most. Technical level is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle.

Why do some average players succeed overseas while top local players fail?

Because football is not just about talent. Some players handle homesickness, pressure, and change far better than others, and that can make all the difference.

What should parents focus on instead of reassurance?

Parents should focus on helping their child gain real exposure, experience different environments, and develop the mentality needed to adapt and compete overseas.

Author: Alan Deriard
Football Agent | Elite Football
Website: https://elitefootball.com.au