Perth Glory youngster Keegan Jelacic hasn’t looked back since being thrust into the starting eleven at the beginning of November.
A run of twelve starting appearances with one goal and three assists to his name has seen Jelacic become something of a fan favourite at Macedonia Park this season.
Originally signed to Glory on a two-year deal in June of last year, the 20-year-old has just put pen to paper on a contract extension that locks him in until 2025.
Former Glory, Wellington Phoenix, and Sydney FC striker Shane Smeltz has been working closely with Jelacic as he learns the ropes at professional level.
“Keegan is effecting games, goals and assists come to him naturally, and his physical output matches anyone in the league,” said Smeltz.
“Although I have a mentoring and guidance role with Keegan as his agent, he is so easy to manage, and nothing fazes him. He just gets on with the work and that alone tells me that he is going to have a great career.”
A spell at Brisbane Roar led to just two A-Leagues appearances before Jelacic found his feet in the National Premier League (NPL) Queensland with Olympic FC last season under the guidance of Ben Cahn. His dazzling displays and eye for goal drew the attention of Perth Glory Head Coach Ruben Zadkovich and Head of Recruitment Andy Keogh.
“Keegan was on our radar from [former A-Leagues midfielder] Mitch Nichols in Brisbane,” said Keogh.
“He is a close friend of mine and rang to tell me about Keegan; it’s important to have these relationships in football as ultimately it has resulted in one of the hottest prospects in the Australian game.”
Those sentiments are echoed by Smeltz who believes that Jelacic is in the right environment to develop as a player.
“I am extremely pleased to see Keegan’s rise at Glory and a lot of credit goes to the club, Ruben, and Andy for believing in the vision we have for him,” said Smeltz.
“I have been in and around the A-Leagues long enough and I don’t think I have seen a young player adapt to a new club environment so quickly and produce what he is week in, week out.”
Smeltz, who played and scored for New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup, has no doubt that Gold Coast native Jelacic could be a big asset to the Australian national team in the coming years.
“We have had some open discussions around what the future might look like,” said Smeltz.
“I know there has been talk around who Keegan will represent and knowing [Australia Head Coach] Graham Arnold, he will have a vision on how things might look come the next World Cup. As top young talent goes in the country, he must be in the conversation.”
Jelacic also qualifies to play for New Zealand through his mother and represented the All Whites at under 17 level in 2019 so there is sure to be strong competition for his allegiance if performances at club level remain at a high standard.
“Keegan is someone who has gone from strength to strength in our environment and really benefited from the program in place,” said Ruben Zadkovich recently.
“He is very receptive to being coached and his attitude and application to continually improve has been exceptional which makes him a pleasure to work with for all staff and more importantly, his teammates.
“I’ve got a very, very high opinion of young Keegan and I’m firmly focused and optimistic about helping him reach the very top levels of football.”
Traditionally, A-Leagues clubs have been somewhat reluctant to take a punt on players from the semi-professional local competitions but Jelacic’s meteoric rise to one of the first names on the team sheet at Glory within half a season proves there is plenty of talent out there waiting for the right opportunity.
“With our high-performance team and fantastic coaching set up, we were able to speed up Keegan’s transition from NPL to A-Leagues,” said Andy Keogh.
“But he has always had the attributes we were looking for in players to help them develop quicker.”
An international call up by either Australia or New Zealand in near future would cap off a whirlwind 12 months and no doubt lead to plenty of attention from overseas clubs.
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