“I don’t really get nervous much.”
Leaving friends and family at such a young age is understandably daunting, but he’s just as keen to get into it.
“I’m excited for the new experience,” van Onselen said.
The 192cm goalie doesn’t restrict himself to football, playing at a representative level in both indoor and outdoor cricket and placing second for javelin in the South Island U14 championships.
While successful at a range of different sports, football is his passion.
“I want to pursue a footballing career, that’s what I want to do.”
He was first recognised by Phoenix scouts while playing at a tournament in Christchurch.
He responded to an email from New Zealand Football with a reel of his highlights and was subsequently invited to a three-day trial in Wellington.
“It was a lot more intense than anything I’d done down here.
“It was hard work, but it was good because I like hard work,” said van Onselen.
He said the trials pushed him to be a better player and gave him a better understanding of what was expected of him in high-performance football.
The schedule is rigorous, with four trainings a week, plus gym sessions after three of them. The week finishes with a game on the Sunday.
Van Onselen sees himself as a constant competitor.
“I just want to be better than everyone, and I’ve always been like that.”
“I don’t really have any doubt in my mind,” he said.
His drive for success is motivated his gratitude for the sacrifices his family has made to get him to his current position.
“I just want to show them that I can do it,” he said.
He acknowledged his older brother Toby, a fellow keeper, for the countless hours spent in the backyard helping him stop shots.
The Shirley Boys’ High student already has his sights on higher honours, aiming to make his A-League debut before his 20th birthday.
After playing a few solid seasons in the trans-Tasman competition, he dreams of stopping shots for clubs like Barcelona and Milan.
