Manchester United starlet James Overy continues his impressive rise with a call-up to the senior Australia squad after impressing Ruben Amorim and breaking into Under-21s team
James Overy
James Overy has already trained with the Manchester United first-team
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Manchester United exciting prospect James Overy has been handed a shock call-up to the Australia national team for this month's fixtures against Venezuela and Colombia.
Socceroos boss Tony Popovic has named 11 inclusions to his squad, with United academy star Overy, who turns 18 this weekend, set to continue his rapid rise after impressing at the U20 World Cup.
Overy moved to United in the summer of 2024 on a scholarship deal before he penned a professional contract in July. In May, Ruben Amorim included him and several youngsters in first-team training at Carrington ahead of the Premier League against Chelsea.
Shortly after joining the Reds, Overy missed eight months due to injury before making his debut for the Under-18s in February. This season, he has been a regular in Darren Fletcher's team and has featured for the Under-21s in Premier League 2 and the National league Cup.
Ahead of the upcoming international break, Overy will now look to make the next step in his career after being named in the Australia squad. Injuries to a number of regulars have led many players being called up by Popovic.
"It's another opportunity to expand the depth and introduce players who have not yet been exposed to the Socceroos environment or senior international football," Popovic said. "We also welcome back some familiar faces, from Australia and abroad.
James Overy
James Overy has impressed Manchester United figures since joining(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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"I've had the chance to closely observe the opening rounds of the A-League season, and we believe this is the ideal time to integrate domestic players into the squad.
"We are delighted to be back in the United States to face strong South American opposition as we continue our preparations for the World Cup."
Australia will play Venezuela in Houston on November 14 before taking on Colombia in New York. The international break is one of the final chances for players to make their mark ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The Socceroos have already secured their place in the summer tournament and will aim to progress past the round of 16 for the first time, having lost to Argentina in Qatar in 2022.
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