IT’S not often two contestants from one local area qualify for the same reality program, but that seems to be the path Maida Vale resident Trent Wood is heading towards.
The teenager has been selected as WA’s top finalist in Football Superstar, a pay television show that will search the country for the next soccer champion.
Following the success of the first series in 2008, which saw Forrestfield’s Adam Hett take out the competition, Football Superstar recently kicked-off nationwide auditions in Perth for this year’s installment.
The 19-year-old Swan United midfielder said he felt nervous at the beginning of the tryouts but quickly got into the swing of the first module.
“The cameras didn’t really help the situation when you’re trying to concentrate but that just made an extra challenge for the day,” Wood said.
He will join nine other hopefuls from WA in Melbourne this month for the start of filming.
“When we arrive we will spend the week with the other state finalists.
The top-15 spots in the nation will be determined by all kinds of tests and fitness drills. That will be difficult, but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Wood said.
Although there is added pressure on the teenager as the number one player in WA, Wood is hoping to perform well, particularly in front of Melbourne Victory’s two-time A-League winning coach Ernie Merrick.
“At the end of the day I have to put my mind to it and do the best I can,” he said. “I hope I can prove how skillful and fit I am on the football pitch.”
The Shire of Kalamunda has proved an incredibly good hunting ground for Football Superstar, after Hett won last season’s series and secured a contract with A-League side Sydney FC.
Before last Sunday’s tryouts, Hett offered Wood some words of advice, which gave the teenager confidence leading into the auditions.
“It was good to catch up with Adam on Sunday. I’ve been seeing him on a regular basis throughout the year, as we went to the same high school and played juniors together,” Wood said.
The winner of this series will seal a one-year playing contract with Melbourne Victory and a scholarship to Victoria’s Monash University.