Shepparton’s Ryder Kirkman, 15, is one of Victoria’s brightest soccer talents.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Shepparton soccer talent Ryder Kirkman is celebrating making the School Sport Victoria Team Vic under-18 squad after featuring at the Emerging Socceroos championships in Sydney.
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At the tender age of 15, the Year 9 schoolboy continues to successfully juggle his sporting aspirations with his education at Goulburn Valley Grammar School.
The teenager’s knack with the ball at his feet first emerged on the field with Shepparton South and Goulburn Valley Suns, with his fledgling days having been guided by coach Tommy Giuliani.
Now, the burgeoning star is set to head to Melbourne once more to compete for Victoria at the annual School Sport Australia Championships from July 25-31.
There is no doubting the prodigious potential of the boy wonder, who was just about old enough to even attend trials for the Team Vic’s under-18 set-up as he continues to push boundaries for country kids at state level.
Of course, his achievement is made all the more impressive considering he will be nearly three years younger than some of the other participants.
“Obviously, when you’re playing against older kids, presence is a big thing,” Kirkman said.
“I tried to stand out with my voice as it’s practically senior football, so you’ve got to be smart.”
The teenage prodigy is making great strides on the field, having learned his trade as a defensive player with Shepparton South before converting into an attacker during his time with the Suns – a transition he believes has actually aided his development.
“Playing backline, you’ve really got to understand how the winger is going to move, so I know now what kind of runs the defenders don’t really like, the pockets where it’s hard to defend and track back, etc,” he said.
“Also as a defender, you have to be loud and have a presence, so a lot of attackers my age aren’t as vocal, whereas I’m big on talking in the game.
“Shepp South was where it started; I got coached by parents and found my love of the game.
Ryder Kirkman shows off his soccer skills after being named in the under-18 Team Vic side.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“I got there and started improving and having a bit of fun with my mates, with people like Tommy Giuliani and David Davkovski at the SJSA having really tried to push you to the next step.
“They always tried to lead you and guide you – giving you advice for what the next steps were and setting standards, how to train, how to keep it simple.
“After the under-14s, myself and a few mates wanted to take the next step and joined the GV Suns – our coach there was Billy Marshall from England, and he really helped us in training.”
Scoring 25 times during his first season with the Suns, he caught the eye of coaches at Northcote in Melbourne, with then-Head of Football Cvetan Ivanov making the call to invite him for a trial.
Following on from that experience, he joined Victoria Premier League club Essendon Royals.
“The coach at Northcote, Jacob Lever, played a big role in my development, it was a step-up,” he said.
“Nowadays, I play as an attacker at the Essendon Royals, either through the middle or out wide, anywhere in the front really.”
He also recounted his experience of pitting his talents alongside the country’s most gifted players at the Emerging Socceroos camp while representing Victoria Country in Sydney.
“Playing for Vic Country with all the boys was probably the proudest thing I’ve ever done,” he said.
Looking ahead, the teenager acknowledged that he was hoping to make the step up to senior football in the future, with his ultimate dream being representing his country one day.
“The goal is definitely to play in an academy – if I can impress the coaches (at the School Sport Australia Championships),” Kirkman said.
“I’d love to play in the A-League.
“To play for your country is everyone’s dream from nine years old to whenever they stop.”
One thing is for sure – the boy from Shepparton has the world at his feet.
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