Man Utd Starlet Joins Australia's Senior Team
Manchester United's young defender James Overy has earned a call-up to the Australian national team for upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia. The squad, announced by coach Tony Popovic, features 11 new players.
Overy, who turns 18 this weekend, joined Manchester United in the summer of 2024 on a scholarship before signing a professional contract in July. His career took off after strong performances at the U20 World Cup.
In May, Ruben Amorim promoted him and several other academy prospects to first-team training at Carrington before a Premier League match with Chelsea. Despite an early setback — an eight-month injury soon after joining United — Overy made his return for the Under-18s in February, according to the Manchester Evening News.
This season, he has been a regular in Darren Fletcher's setup and played in both Premier League 2 and the National League Cup with the Under-21s.
“It’s been really hard for James because obviously he’s made the move from Australia and he’s a terrific lad, first of all,”
said former Under-18s coach Adam Lawrence, praising Overy's resilience after a long recovery period.
Author’s Summary
Promising defender James Overy earns his first senior Australia call-up after rapid progress at Manchester United and a strong comeback from a lengthy injury.