HE may have been born and raised in Ivory Coast but Adama Traore has declared his desire to represent the Socceroos and solve their left back conundrum.

With an infectious smile and refreshing innocence, it’s not hard to see why the player dubbed ‘Trev’ Traore by Victory’s fans has become a dressing room favourite.

But his family history reveals why he’s remained grounded.

Traore, who left his Bondouku home at 13 to pursue a pro career, has helped finance his family since his father passed away in 2008.

And the second oldest of five children (the other four are studying) admits the budget was tight when he was growing up.

"It was tough, we struggled but it made me strong," he said.

"We always talk, every two days. It’s far from home and I always say if the family feels good you automatically feel good."

Another anecdote from Traore’s Ivory Coast days give us an idea of why he’s confident of challenging Matt McKay, David Carney and Michael Zullo for the left back spot.

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Part of their u20 squad he was called up to the first team for a training game back in 2008, locking horns with Didier Drogba and the Toure brothers.



"I felt comfortable, you can’t be scared of those guys, they’re human beings like us," he said.