Despite Sydney’s on-field woes, the 21-year-old who is having a dream start to his first year in the senior team alongside his boyhood hero.

“It’s amazing to come to training – to train week in and week out with one of the world’s greatest players is unreal,” Powell said.

“I used to have his poster up on my wall and now I’m training alongside him – it’s a little unbelievable.”

Promoted from the youth squad, Powell made his A-League debut on Saturday in the Sky Blues’ 3-2 loss to Newcastle Jets as a 60-minute substitute for injured defender Adam Griffiths.

His headed strike off a Brett Emerton cross brought the home side within a goal of squaring the ledger and breathed new hope into the 35,500-strong crowd.

There was no equaliser but Powell hopes he’s done enough to earn a run in the sell-out inaugural derby against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night.

Head Coach Ian Crook might keep him guessing. Powell had no idea until he arrived at Allianz Stadium for the Jets clash that he had made the bench.

“I knew I was going to be in the squad because Crooky put up 17 men on the board on Friday after training,” he said

“But I only found out when I got to the stadium, looked in my cubicle and saw my jersey hanging up that I was one of the 15.

“My first game in the A-League and my first goal – I was pretty pumped when it went in but now that’s over I’ve got to turn my mind to next week.”

Working under Crook in the youth team made Powell’s transition to the A-League easier but his debut game heroics are no guarantee of a re-call.

“I don’t know as yet – maybe as the week goes on (Crook) might give me the nod,” he said. “He might come up to me or I might get an inkling from some of the drills I’m doing.

“It’s going to be another huge game – all I can do is put in another hard week at training, show Crooky that I’m fit, that my touches are all good and give him every reason to put me in the squad.”