De Niese, 22, has been with Portuguese third division club Trofense since the first half of the 2017-18 season and played alongside fellow Australian, Anthony Carter, before the striker joined Benfica.

The duo both went to primary school together in Melbourne, but their paths diverged with De Niese going to South America and Carter heading to Europe.

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After re-uniting in Portugal many years later, the pair combined on the field immediately with De Niese’s debut including an assist for Carter and a goal for himself.

After the 23-year-old striker signed a four-year deal with Benfica last week, De Niese hopes he can also move to higher division soon.

“Carter has shown that it’s possible and you can definitely do it,” he said.

“He hasn’t gone to a small club he has gone to the biggest club in Portugal.

“There are definitely eyes out there watching teams like Trofense and it’s just about playing well and getting game time and showing yourself.

“Trofense were a first division club in 2009, so we have a good stadium, nice change rooms and it’s a club that wants to get back to where they were.”

De Niese spent six years with River Plate’s youth system but returned home due to passport issues when he was 18.

While trialling with Melbourne City’s NPL team in April 2016 he tore his ACL, and it put him out of action for a year.

After fighting his way back to full fitness, he signed with South Melbourne but left due to limited opportunities and spent the next three months in the NPL 2 with his junior club Springvale White Eagles.

Craving full-time football again, De Niese moved to Trofense and said Europe has reinvigorated his career.

“Since leaving River Plate, I wanted to be in a professional environment again,” he said.

“I just wanted to find my feet and I definitely know I’ve made the right move, I’m happy again about where my career is at, and I know from now it’s going to grow.

“When I was in Australia playing in the NPL I was always fighting with myself, I wasn’t enjoying my football like I used to.

“I was only training two or three times a week and doing extra work on my own. You can only motivate yourself so much off the pitch. So, this move has energised me."

This season hasn’t been without drama, as Trofense struggled at the beginning of their campaign and it led to a number of off-field issues.

“In the first half of the season we changed coaches four times during a 16-game period,” De Niese said.

“But now our new coach has turned it around in the last four, we have won three and he’s given the club a totally different vibe.

“My main goal is to play the remaining 13 games that are left this season and for the team to finish above the relegation zone, which we will.”

Click to follow's Gavin De Niese's progress below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLDPvOV2IkiThlDlbWqA5Q/videos