WOLLONGONG teenager Josh MacDonald says his immediate football career is uncertain after returning from a promising trial with English Championship side Nottingham Forest.
The 17-year-old spent two weeks with the Reds in February and another week trialing with EPL side Aston Villa and expects to know next month if he is headed overseas.
The pacey winger with a taste for one v one battles earned a trial with Tottenham Hotspur two years ago and can now add training with Nottingham’s first team to his list of experiences.
Playing abroad is a long held dream for the Arsenal supporter who, from the age of five, made a habit of rising in the wee hours of the morning to watch the Gunners take to the pitch.
“I was supposed to be (at Nottingham) for a week but when the week ended (they) wanted to keep me on for longer so I decided to stay,” he said.
“It was a really good club and I really liked it. Everything went well and I’m just waiting for them to get back to me.
"It’s a lot different to here - it’s a lot quicker and the weather’s a bit challenging but I know that they’re keen on me.”
MacDonald also met up with Aston Villa’s Aussie starlet, Jordan Lyden while he was in the UK but says he declined an offer to extend his stay with the West Midlands outfit.
Nottingham is not the only potential destination for the young attacker who is hopeful a door will open at Sydney FC after impressing coach Frank Farina.
The Joeys regular lined up for Sky Blues youth team last season and scored twice for the harbour-siders during an international youth tournament in Vietnam in October.
“It was a big learning year – there’s no doubt when I was with Sydney I improved a lot because I was training with the first team,” he said.
“(Youth coach) Brian (Dene) was great and Frank’s helped me even more. It was a good experience travelling, staying in hotels and coming up against a lot of the best players in the country for our age.
“I wouldn’t mind playing in Australia for a couple of years but my ultimate goal is to live and play in Europe and obviously represent my country.”
MacDonald is now focusing on his football after clubs at home and abroad reinforced the message to “keep working hard”.
He has now left school to concentrate on his football and trains each day at the home ground of his boyhood club Unanderra Hearts.
He has also linked up with Albion Park White Eagles to keep himself fit while his immediate future is sorted, but is relishing what lies ahead.
“My dad taught me the ins and outs of the game and when I went to Sydney they taught me how to read the game better,” MacDonald added.
“And when I was overseas I found the pace of the game a lot higher and I learned to keep up with that so it’s all good experience.”
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