In September last year, 24 of the best NPL players across Australia aged 16-20 attended a three-day camp in Sydney with the winner getting a chance to land a contact with Sydney FC’s Youth team.

After the intensive camp, Sydney FC Youth Coach Rob Stanton, Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic, and FFA Technical Director Eric Abrams decided on 20-year-old Trajceski.

But the classy midfielder who last season was a regular starter for Victorian NPL side Hume City knocked back the Sky Blues offer.

 “He did really well and we liked what we saw and he was a good prospect,” said Stanton.

 “The PS4 player pathway was an excellent opportunity for players to come together and we found someone who we thought was good enough. But he decided to take a chance and trial overseas later in the year.”

Before Trajceski rejected the Sky Blues he also knocked back Melbourne Victory and while Stanton supports the youngster’s overseas ambitions, he feels he may be taking a risk.

 “This can be make or break for him,” he said. “If he goes oversees and comes back then maybe he doesn’t get an opportunity with another A-League club. Because Melbourne Victory offered him a contract and he’s turned them down, he’s turned us down so in the end if people ask once they generally don’t ask a second time.

“If he goes overseas he needs to make a winner of it otherwise it’s over before you begin if you are not careful. He’s a good kid, I liked him and he did really when was here. He fitted in nicely. But his passion was to go overseas and you have to respect that. Hopefully in the future we’ll see him playing in Europe somewhere and that would be lovely to see.”

While it seems Trajcevski is taking a gamble by trying his luck abroad, Stanton said there were examples of players who bypassed Australia for Europe and had successful careers.

 “Josip Skoko never ended up playing in the NSL but was captain of his club in three different countries in Europe. He turned down many offers in the NSL in his day,” he said.

“Craig Moore went straight overseas and he played for Rangers for a decade and won titles and played at Newcastle and played for the national team winning close to 100 caps. He never played one game in the national league until he came back.

“These things are a little bit rare but some players are destined for their journey to have a different path and if he ends up like those two then fantastic.”