Podaridis got the opportunity to go to England after the 187cm defender played a season in the Victorian National Premier League competition with Melbourne City’s youth team.

That led to a 12-month European sojourn first with English Premier League side Watford’s Under-21 set up, followed by nine months with Cypriot giants APOEL’s youth team

Podaridis said the opportunity to train at the Hornets under the watchful eye of a former Socceroo great was invaluable for his football education.

“When I was there it was Harry Kewell’s first season with Watford and the training was brilliant,” he said.

“He brought that Aussie mentality of working hard and he was trying to drive that into the British players.

“His sessions blew me away. For me Harry is one of the best coaches I have ever played under, just his experience that he has in the game meant that I was able to learn so much.”

But Podaridis football education in England was limited to just a few weeks of training as the youngster didn’t have the required visa to stay in the country.

However, that disappointment turned to joy as soon after, the former Melbourne City youngster was offered the chance to spend some time with one Cyprus’s biggest football clubs.  

“When I was at APOEL I was training for nine months twice a day every day, doing gym work and all that,” he said.

“I got used to the lifestyle and what it’s like to be a full-time footballer and now I know what it takes to play at that level.

“Going from part-time training to two sessions a day for five days a week you gain so much experience and you become a better player than what you were.

“I feel I have become a better player from this experience. My speed of thought, my touch, my long balls all these little bits of my game have improved."

Australian Youth International Peter Skapetis and Podaridis are first cousins.

Skapetis has been overseas for almost five years and the young defender said hearing about his experiences could not prepare him for the reality of being there.

“Europe is a completely different level to Australia,” he said.

“When my cousin signed from South Melbourne to Queens Park Rangers  and then Stoke I had little bits of pieces of information about what Europe was like, but you don’t really understand until you actually experience it yourself.”

Meanwhile Podaridis is now back in Australia after his Greek passport arrived too late in the season to be able to extend his time at APOEL and he is currently with Victorian NPL club Oakleigh Cannons.

After getting a taste of a fulltime European environment the teenager said he would jump at the chance to back playing in a professional set up again.

“I would love to play in the A-League, nothing beats playing in your home country,” he said.

“When I was at Melbourne City I had friends and family coming to watch me and nothing more would please me more than getting an A-League trial or contract somewhere.

“But I’d like to sign a first team contract that would be my goal as far as offers from the A-League would go.”