Fairytale turns reality for Velupillay on debut
Nishan Velupillay's journey from the North Terrace to Socceroo goalscorer almost feels like a cliched movie script. But the 23-year-old is "thankful" for a very real moment he'll remember forever.
TOKYO, Japan — Across the past few years, newly-minted Socceroo goalscorer Nishan Velupillay has been on a journey that, if you were to attempt to pass it off as fiction, would probably be considered too saccharine to be believable. But it’s very real.
After growing up as a supporter in the North Terrace, falling in love with the game as he cheered on the likes of Archie Thompson, Kevin Muscat, and Besart Berisha, it all started when he made his debut for Melbourne Victory in 2021 – in a Big Blue, of all games.
The following campaign he would score his first professional goal to see off Victory’s bitter foes Adelaide United in the Orginal Rivarly, before then featuring in the club’s Australia Cup triumph and receiving their young player of the year award for the 2021–22 season.
Bringing up nearly 100 games for his boyhood club across the subsequent seasons he would also become a regular figure at Olyroos level before, after off a sterling 2024 Australia Cup, he would be tapped Tony Popovic, his former coach at Victory who was now leading the Socceroos, for his first senior callup.
It was a move that raised eyebrows, facial features that were raised even higher when he was introduced in the 83rd minute of Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against China. But then, after all of seven minutes on the park, the 23-year-old was pouncing on a loose ball in the box, swivelling, and punching the ball into the top corner to grab a goal on debut and seal a 3-1 win.
If you were a Socceroos supporter, especially one that also holds Victory in your heart, it must have felt like the footballing gods were writing fan service.
“I've gone a lot of places really quickly,” Velupillay remarked post-game. “But that's just football in general. Football changes very quickly, that's what we saw tonight.
“[The goal] happened really quickly. It was, it's a good feeling, yeah. For the time I was on, I'm pretty happy that I scored. A lot of emotions right now. For sure, [he’ll remember it for the rest of my life], it's a memorable one. I'm pretty privileged to be here and thankful for the opportunity.”
Of course, as good as the moment was for Velupillay, likely feeling plenty of validation at the moment he struck would have been Popovic, who grew to trust the attacker throughout his time in Melbourne and backed him to perform on the international stage.
“He's been important for my development as a player,” Velupillay said of his coach. “He knows what attributes I have and what I'm capable of. He's been pretty important to what I've [become].
“[He said to] be disciplined in the structure and work hard [when Velupillay came on]. On the ball, he gives me the freedom to make the right choices. And, yeah, I felt I did that today.
“I felt really comfortable [out there]. And that's a credit to the boys as well, they make me feel comfortable on the pitch.”