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<\/p>\nJust two years ago, a 13-year-old Keron Longhe was playing B Division JPL football for Playford.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, at 15, the exciting Adelaide United youngster has earned a call-up to the Joeys, selected by former Reds Head Coach and current Australia U17 Men\u2019s National Team Head Coach, Carl Veart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is a rapid rise, but also a reminder of what can happen when young players are given an opportunity, backed by the right people, and supported through a clear football pathway.\u00a0We caught up with Keron before the\u00a0CFA U17 Invitational 2026 in China.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look back, it has happened pretty quickly,\u201d\u00a0Longhe\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo years\u00a0ago\u00a0I was playing JPL, and now\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0getting the chance to be part of a Joeys camp.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0something\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0really grateful\u00a0for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt has come from a lot of\u00a0hard work, the support of my family,\u00a0coaches\u00a0and teammates, and just staying focused on improving every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of how far I\u2019ve come, but I know there\u2019s still a long way to go, so I\u2019m focused on making the most of this opportunity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Longhe\u2019s\u00a0journey began to shift when Playford nominated him to trial for Football South Australia\u2019s Singapore Cup tour. At the time, he was not already part of the recognised elite pathway, but his performances quickly caught the eye of those watching on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adelaide United Head of Youth Football and A-League Assistant Coach, Paul Vanis, was then working closely within the Football SA NTC environment\u00a0with Richie Alagich\u00a0and remembers the first impression clearly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Keron-Longhe-10.jpg\")
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\u201cHe caught our eye straight away,\u201d Vanis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot of players involved, but when we watched Keron, we thought, \u2018this kid has something\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stood out was his calmness on the ball, his technical ability, how he controlled the ball in tight spaces, and the way he carried it. He is silky on the ball.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From there,\u00a0Longhe\u00a0was invited to train with the Football SA NTC squad, before earning a place in the program for the following season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His development continued quickly. After impressing at Football SA level,\u00a0Longhe\u00a0represented South Australia at the National Championships, where he was\u00a0identified\u00a0by national team staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since joining Adelaide United\u2019s youth program,\u00a0Longhe\u00a0has continued to take important steps in his development, playing 16 matches across the RAA NPL and Reserves competitions this season and scoring five goals, making his senior NPL debut this season against West Adelaide in Round 13.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Keron-Longhe-4.jpg\")
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Longhe\u00a0said the support he has received at Adelaide United has been crucial in helping him adjust to a higher level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul and all the Adelaide United staff have been massive for my development,\u201d\u00a0Longhe\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve\u00a0believed in me, pushed me to improve every day, and helped me understand what it takes to play at a higher level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u00a0really grateful\u00a0for all the support\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0given me. It has played a big part in helping me get to this point.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That exposure has now led to his Joeys\u00a0selection\u00a0\u2013 and what makes the achievement even more impressive is that\u00a0Longhe\u00a0is playing above his age group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While most of the current Joeys group is made up of 2009-born players,\u00a0Longhe\u00a0is a 2010-born player, meaning he would ordinarily fall into the next national team cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, his performances have pushed him into the frame early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis group is mostly 2009s, and Keron is a 2010,\u201d Vanis explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u00a0he is a year younger. Only exceptional 2010s were invited in, and that shows how well he has done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was identified at the National Championships and now he has this opportunity with the Joeys.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For\u00a0Longhe, the call-up is a proud moment and another chance to keep learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s honestly an unreal feeling to represent my country and show what I can do,\u201d\u00a0Longhe\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited and grateful for the opportunity, and I\u2019m just looking forward to learning, working hard and making the most of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Adelaide United,\u00a0Longhe\u2019s\u00a0story is another example of the Club\u2019s commitment to finding,\u00a0developing\u00a0and backing young South Australian talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It also highlights the\u00a0important role\u00a0local clubs and Football South Australia continue to play in giving players platforms to be seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/55373598505_4f63fb0b44_o-rotated.jpg\")
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Playford gave\u00a0Longhe\u00a0his football grounding and nominated him for the Singapore Cup opportunity. Football SA then provided the representative and NTC environment that allowed his talent to be further exposed and developed. Adelaide United has since brought him into its youth program, where he continues to take the next steps in his football journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Vanis, the message is simple: talented players can come from anywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKeron\u2019s story shows there is not just one way,\u201d Vanis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was playing at Playford, got an opportunity through Football SA, came into the NTC environment, represented South Australia, and now he is at Adelaide United and involved with the Joeys.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows that if a young player is good enough and willing to work, there are opportunities there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Longhe\u2019s\u00a0call-up follows an exciting period for Adelaide United\u2019s youth program, with a growing number of players continuing to earn national team recognition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For young footballers across South Australia, his rise is proof that the pathway is open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From B Division JPL football to a Joeys camp in just two years, Keron Longhe\u2019s journey is only just beginning \u2013 but it is already a story worth celebrating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Keron features for the Joey\u2019s on Wednesday night when they take on Nigeria.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CommBank Joeys v Nigeria U17\u00a0
Wednesday, 8 July 2026\u00a0
Yinchuan Sports Centre\u00a0Helanshan\u00a0Stadium, Yinchuan\u00a0\u00a0
Kick-off: 4.00pm local \/ 6.00pm AEST\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just two years ago, a 13-year-old Keron Longhe was playing B Division JPL football for Playford.\u00a0 Now, at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46139,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[395,957,5013,5014,958,5015],"class_list":["post-46138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-adelaide","tag-adelaide","tag-adelaide-united","tag-adelaide-united-youth","tag-aufc-youth","tag-featured","tag-npl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46138"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46138\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}