Aspiring soccer stars at Hoppers Crossing’s The Grange P-12 College, got to rub shoulders with the real thing yesterday, when Socceroos defender Thomas Deng came to watch a game and meet and greet with students.
The Japan based defender is in town to to spend Christmas with his family
following the end of the J-League season and visited The Grange courtesy of his older brother Nhial who works there.
“We both enjoy it” said Nhial Deng of bringing his famous brother to work, particularly to a school where many of the students share a similar background.
“We come from the African community and we were both born in Africa and went through the whole process as refugees that many of the kids and their parents will have gone through.”
The Deng brothers were born in a refugee camp in Kenya, but their family originally came from South Sudan.
After arriving in Australia, both Thomas and Nhial took up soccer, but it’s the former who has made it their career, winning an A-league title with Melbourne Victory, representing Australia at the World Cup and Olympics and now playing professionally abroad.
Nhial Deng, who plays locally in the NPL and works as a soccer coach and student mentor at The Grange, said bringing athletes like his brother to the school was hugely beneficial.
“It’s extremely important for aspiring athletes to meet people who are doing what they want to do. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Cade Lucas.
