21-year-old Tyrese Francois will lead Australia during June's AFC U23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.
Interim Head Coach Trevor Morgan has handed Francois the armband ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on June 1 as Australia take on Kuwait.
Born in Campbelltown, Francois traded Sydney for London as a teenager when he joined Fulham's academy in 2013.
In the years that followed, he rose through the ranks to debut at senior level in 2019, before becoming the 53rd Australian to play in the English Premier League following his first league appearance in May 2021.
A few weeks later, Francois linked up with the Australia U23's in Marbella, Spain, where he pulled on the Green and Gold throughout three international friendlies.
The youngster shared why he is grateful for the opportunity to lead his nation into the upcoming tournament.
"It's an honour," he said. "Obviously it's a proud moment for myself and my family and it will mean a lot more if we can go deep into this tournament as well.
"It's a great bunch of lads, with younger boys and older boys involved. We've got a great attitude and the vibe around the camp is very good.
"We're eager to kick off on Wednesday, and all want to stand out in this tournament."
After a productive week's pre-camp in Tashkent, Francois and his teammates are now in the city of Qarshi, which will host Australia's first two group games against Kuwait and Iraq, on June 1 and 4 respectively.
The squad will then return to Uzbekistan's capital for their final group fixture against Jordan on June 7.
Australian audiences can watch all of the U23's action live on Paramount+, with Trevor Morgan side's first three fixtures all kicking off at 11pm AEST.
To get to know the squad and find out more about how preparations have progressed, check out the 'Inside Camp with the 23's' series.
Australia U23 Squad | AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022
Name |
Club, Country |
Junior Club |
Hosine BILITY |
Fram Reykjavik, Iceland |
Croydon Kings FC (Football South Australia) |
Nicholas BILOKAPIC (Gk) |
Hartlepool United, England |
Sydney United 58 FC (Football NSW) |
Jordan BOS |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
Hoppers Crossing SC (Football Victoria) |
Lachlan BROOK |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) |
Jacob CHAPMAN (Gk) |
Huddersfield Town AFC, England |
Epping Eastwood Tigers FC (Football NSW) |
Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS |
Rakow Czestochowa, Poland |
Newmarket SFC (Football Queensland) |
Louis D’ARRIGO |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
West Torrens Birkalla SC (Football South Australia) |
Jacob FARRELL |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
Wyoming FC (Football NSW) |
Tyrese FRANCOIS |
Fulham FC, England |
Campbelltown Uniting Church SC (Football NSW) |
Joe GAUCI (Gk) |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Cumberland United FC (Football South Australia) |
Tristan HAMMOND |
FK Austria Wien II, Austria |
Fairfield Hotspurs SC (Football NSW) |
Alou KUOL |
SV Sandhausen, Germany |
Shepparton SC (Football Victoria) |
Lewis MILLER |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
Pittwater RSL FC (Football NSW) |
Ramy NAJJARINE |
Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia |
Mounties Wanderers FC (Football NSW) |
Joshua NISBET |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
St Marys FC (Football NSW) |
Bernardo Oliveira (BERNARDO) |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Port Adelaide Pirates SC (Football SA) |
Cameron PEUPION |
Brighton Hove & Albion FC, England |
Wakehurst FC (Football NSW) |
Joshua RAWLINS |
Perth Glory FC, Australia |
Dianella SC (Football West) |
Jay RICH-BAGHUELOU |
Accrington Stanley FC, England |
Palm Beach SC (Football Queensland) |
Kai TREWIN |
Brisbane Roar FC, Australia |
Gungahlin United FC (Capital Football) |
Patrick WOOD |
Sydney FC, Australia |
Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC (Football NSW) |
Patrick YAZBEK |
Sydney FC, Australia |
Austral Soccer Club (Football NSW) |
Kusini YENGI | Adelaide United, Australia | Fulham United FC (Football South Australia) |
Match Schedule | Australia U23 | AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022
Matchday 1: Australia U23 v Kuwait U23
Date: Wednesday, 1 June 2022
Venue: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Matchday 2: Iraq U23 v Australia U23
Date: Saturday, 4 June 2022
Venue: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Matchday 3: Australia U23 v Jordan U23
Date: Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Venue: Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+