Joshua De Rossi received a belated birthday present on Sunday.
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After celebrating his birthday a week earlier, the 16-year-old was told he would be part of the Macarthur Rams squad to take on Sydney FC tonight at Campbelltown Stadium.
It’s safe to say that Josh was over the moon and a little shocked after hearing the news.
Even though the Hills Sport High School student was stunned by the announcement, those close to Josh said the reward was the result of plenty of hard work.
“Not many kids get up at six in the morning, travel an hour and a half for school, come back home and then train,” former Griffith coach Ben Duggan said.
Duggan – who holds a coaching role with the Macarthur Rams – said Josh has an incredible drive to succeed.
“He does four sessions a week at school and two or three with the Rams plus games on the weekend,” Duggan said.
“Any day he’s not training, he’s either doing something at home or training at the gym.
“He definitely deserves this opportunity.”
Just prior to his move to Sydney, Josh spoke to The Area News of his eagerness to take on Sydney teams.
“I’m excited, it’s a bit hard to leave home but it'll be alright,” he said.
“It’s good to see where you're at against all the Sydney boys and it'll be good to start playing with them and against them.”
The match between Sydney FC and the Macarthur Rams will start at 7.30pm.