Just back from a disappointing Under-19 campaign in Vietnam, the Sky Blues wonderkid faced brighter news on the domestic front with boyhood hero and Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero signing a two-year contract to play in the harbour city.

Antonis, 18, hopes to feed Il Pinturicchio with plenty of goal-scoring opportunities in Season 8 and says the chance to run onto the field with the Italian superstar brought him to the brink of tears.

“He’s a god of football,” Antonis told au.fourfourtwo.com. "He’s won everything a footballer wants and playing with him… like I’m still pinching myself. It’s a dream come true.

“I had a feeling when all that talk was going on that (the signing) was going to happen but I wanted to cry at the time I found out he was actually coming.

“He was a hero of mine when I was small and I was always looking up to him. And it’s great because now I’ve got two of my heroes at the club – Brett Emerton and Alessandro Del Piero.”

A one-time Everton target, Antonis rocketed onto the football consciousness at the age of 10 when he won a talent competition to make a training DVD with David Beckham.

It’s been a subdued start to his professional career, however, with injuries and selection curiosities reducing his opportunities with the Sky Blues over the past two seasons.

In April he travelled to Germany to trial with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Moenchengladbach and, while nothing eventuated on that front, Antonis feels he’s on the verge of receiving the greatest footballing lesson of his life right here in his own backyard.

“Definitely, I’m happy I stayed back home,” he said. “Del Piero is the top of the tops – and even just training with him is going to be unbelievable so I’m just going to take everything in.

“It was a great experience going over to Germany and seeing what they do compared to what we do, seeing the facilities and all that.

“But I love Sydney and I’ve got great coaches at the moment in Crooky (Ian Crook), Steve Corica and Zeljko Kalac.

“I’m just going to soak everything in and learn from the players - Emerton, Del Piero, Kruno (Lovrek).

“They’re all unbelievable players and I’m a still young so I’ve got to soak all this stuff in. No one usually gets chances like this.”

It’s been a busy period for Antonis. Captaining the Young Socceroos at the AFF U-19 tournament was a highlight - despite finishing third in the four-team comp – coupled with some solid pre-season form.

Now into the last year of his Sydney FC contract, the kid from Bankstown knows that if he’s to shine this season he’ll have to do it in some pretty exalted company. But with a certain World Cup winner in the ranks, whatever happens, Antonis feels it’s a case of right place, right time at this point in his career.

And he’s not alone. Back home it’s hard to get a word in edgewise about the pending arrival of Del Piero.

“My grandpa and my dad and my uncle were all Sydney Olympic supporters and they used to go and take me to watch Brett Emerton when I was four and five-years-old,” Antonis said.

“When they learned I was playing with him they were over the moon. Now Del Piero’s come along everyone’s in shock. He’s one of the biggest players in the world.

“They’re all so excited. Everyone’s excited - the club, the players, the supporters. Everyone can’t wait until he comes.”

And as for the first Sydney A-League derby against Western Sydney Wanderers in round three: “Fingers crossed I’m playing in that. It’ll be a great game, I can’t wait.”