Talents Calendar
©TM/IMAGO
It has been two exciting years for Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues. The New Zealander quickly rose to the first team at Wellington Phoenix and represented his country at the U17 World Cup before becoming the youngest player in club history to debut in the Australian A-League. It all came down to chance, however.
Sloane-Rodrigues has football in his DNA. The teenager was born in Hong Kong, where his father, Jorginho, saw out his career after stints in Russia, Finland, and South Korea at the Citizen Athletic Association. Then, the family headed to New Zealand, his mother’s home and Sloane-Rodriguez would grow up in Auckland. There, he started his career at East Coast Bays AFC and Auckland United FC before joining the academy of A-League club Wellington Phoenix.
Since the start of 2023, Sloane-Rodrigues has taken off. First, he triumphed with New Zealand at the U17 OFC Championship, qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. At Wellington Phoenix, who increasingly focus on their own talents, he managed to make the jump from the fourth team to the first squad. Thanks to being at the right place at the right time. More about that in a moment.
First-team coach Giancarlo Italiano discovered Sloane-Rodrigues by chance during a game of the third team in the Capital Premier League, which he didn’t even plan to watch in the first place. “I originally didn’t plan to watch this game, which took place after the reserve played,” Italiano said. “I was still there by chance and kept watching him. I liked what I saw.”
Sloane-Rodrigues was surprised to make the jump to the first team
“I was surprised,” Sloane-Rodrigues said when asked about his feelings when he was called up to the first team. At this point, he hadn’t even featured for the reserve, which plays in New Zealand’s first division, the National League Championship. “I was a bit confused, but the coach watched me and was excited by the way I played. The step up was definitely demanding.” Despite all that, the winger managed to leave a positive impression.
Oskar Zawada, who now plays for RKC Waalwijk, was asked on Instagram who, in his opinion, was the best player in the academy. The top goalscorer answered by posting a picture of Sloane-Rodrigues. After completing the preseason with the first team, he went do the reserves for playing time but was rewarded with a call-up to the first team early this year. In March, Sloane-Rodrigues, aged 16, eight months and six days, became the youngest player in club history to debut in the A-League.
Over the last two years, Sloane-Rodrigues has highlighted that he has the potential to be an impact player while also honoring his Brazilian heritage. He is often described as an extravagant attacking player, a mixture of winger and playmaker. With his creativity, technique, agility, ball control, and dribbling, he remains an unpredictable player who can create a spectacle on the pitch.
Brazilian heritage: Sloane-Rodrigues is a difference-maker
Italiano also believes that Sloane-Rodrigues can become a difference-maker. “To put it simply, I am looking for something that isn’t the norm, for something special,” Italiano said. That’s precisely what Sloane-Rodrigues has been showing. “He was confident on the ball, was mobile, and always kept his head up; his technique is excellent, and then I just brought him up to train with us.”
He can improve his finishing, decision-making, and consistency. Another aspect, and this is normal for a player of his age, is that Sloane-Rodrigues can still improve his physicality to survive against grown men in professional football. But he is aware of this. “I have to work on my body because the higher the level, the more physical the game.”
Italiano believes that Sloane-Rodrigues will have a great career ahead of him. “If he continues to train and play like this, then he will have a great future ahead of him,” Italiano said. “I am excited when I see a player like him because I believe that if he keeps playing in this environment for one more year and gets minutes in the A-League, then in two years, everyone will call him the next big thing.”
Shortly after his debut, Sloane-Rodrigues received his professional contract, which will keep him at Wellington Phoenix until 2027. This summer, he won the U19 OFC Championship with New Zealand, which qualifies his country for the 2025 U20 World Cup. “But before that, I want to score goals, work hard, and keep my feet on the ground,” Sloane-Rodrigues said. A significant aspect is finishing school, which he currently does online after missing too many hours at Wellington High School. “I take my computer everywhere and try to complete my homework,” Sloane-Rodrigues said. But he hasn’t entirely given up on going to school. “Every once in a while, I go to school and visit my friends during their lunch break and play a bit of football with them.”
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
