FRANCE’S coach could be the reason why Ryan Blumberg is on the same career trajectory as Socceroo Tom Rogic.

The 17-year-old Aussie wasn’t to know that Didier Deschamps was watching an intense session during his three-day trial at the national football centre in France.

Afterwards Deschamps gave the 42 trialling players insight into how they could earn one of 12 contracts at the Nike Academy and the opportunity to be signed by a top European club.

Lucky for Blumberg, the manager of Les Bleus mentioned an important attribute the centre-back had been displaying during the sessions.

“Being vocal is really important and it helps structure the way your team plays,” Blumberg recalled Deschamps telling the hopeful young players.

France's head coach Didier Deschamps (R). Source: AFP

The next day the Australian was awarded with a six-month contract at the St George’s Park National Football Centre in England, just like Rogic had been five years earlier. Al the participants were told exactly why Blumberg had won one of the prized contracts.

“Before they [the Nike Academy coaches] called out my name they gave everyone a little brief of the player and what they had done well during the week to kind of give it away,” Blumberg told foxsports.com.au.

“They said ‘this guy’s really tall, strong, passed accurately and was constantly talking and communicating. That’s a big reason why we chose him.’”

Ryan Blumberg. Source: News Corp Australia

In truth, it didn’t come as a surprise for the Moriah College year 12 student from the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

“I thought I did quite well over there,” said Blumberg.

“Obviously I didn’t want to give myself false hope or any expectations but I thought I had a decent shot.”

The defender - who models himself on France and Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny - knew he had displayed strong and vocal leadership on the pitch, his ability to play the ball at a quick tempo with high accuracy, and his knack of winning 50/50 challenges.

Didier Deschamps (R) speaks with France's defender Laurent Koscielny. Source: AFP

Blumberg has developed those qualities by playing in the top National Premier League tier in NSW, where he’s paired with older brother Dylan in the heart of defence for Hakoah Sydney City East FC.

Before Hakoah, Blumberg spent time with the APIA Leichardt Tigers FC in the Under-16s and Under-18s, and has also featured for the NSW schoolboys team.

But the young defender’s career is now accelerating faster than it ever has before.

Ryan Blumberg. Source: News Corp Australia

He beat out 600 other players over one day to become the only Australian to travel to France’s national team training ground and vie with 41 other 16-19 year olds for a lucrative spot at the Nike Academy in England. That first selection came as a surprise.

“I went into that [the trial] as a centre-back knowing which other players had been selected and thinking it was unlikely they were going to pick a defender,” said Blumberg.

Blumberg thought the academy would be looking for a striker, wingers or attacking midfielders, but instead the defender made the strongest showing.

“I went in just trying to do my best, not expecting anything at all,” Blumberg explained.

“Winning that gave me a lot of confidence. Speaking to some of the other winners from England and France - who had six players selected as opposed to one [from Australia] - that made an impression on them, and it made an impression on the coaches.”

Now Blumberg can make an impression on the best clubs in Europe. Every weekend the Nike Academy team travels to play against the academy of a major club, where their scouts are sure to keep a close eye.

He already has a match scheduled against Swansea before a preseason tour to Portland in America at the Nike headquarters. Blumberg also knows that players such as Francesco Totti, Sami Khedira and Joe Hart come to the academy to join in training and provide advice to the players.

Germany's midfielder Sami Khedira (L). Source: AFP

If the Aussie is unable to impress the decision makers at the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Roma and Barcelona, then there’s a Nike tournament at the end of the six-month stint that provides an “awesome” opportunity to be scouted. But someone is always taking notes anyway.

“The coaches have obviously got lots of contacts, obviously both being ex-pros (one at Preston and one at Wolverhampton) in England,” said Blumberg.

“Whenever you’re training, whenever you’re playing there’s always people watching.”

Despite the opportunity, Blumberg knows Rogic’s experience serves as the perfect case study to indicate he isn’t guaranteed to be picked up by a club. The now-Celtic midfielder wasn’t signed by a club during his time with Nike, and returned to Australia to join the Central Coast Mariners before moving to Melbourne Victory and then the Scottish Premier League.

Tom Rogic (L) in action for Celtic. Source: Reuters

While Blumberg would welcome playing in the A-League as he believes it’s developing and becoming bigger, his next option would be moving to the United States to join a college program.

“It’s [college soccer] an amazing system and very underestimated I think,” said Blumberg.

“It produces a lot of professional players. A lot of the American national team went to colleges in America, and I’m hopefully going to try and become a pro in the MLS out of college, which is a big thing.”

Though Blumberg admits just “1 in 10,000 athletes in all divisions across America become professional,” he sees it as an opportunity to complete a tertiary education as a fallback if a pro football career doesn’t materialise. He’s planning to finish his High School Certificate while at the Nike Academy, and wants to eventually study business.

Seattle Sounders' Jordan Morris who was recently drafted after college. Source: AP

But for now his focus is on doing his best to live his dream, and he’s taking motivation from his predecessor.

“He [Rogic] worked hard and got that breakthrough and is now playing for the Socceroos consistently, and Celtic, and scoring some really good goals,” said Blumberg.

“It’s a massive, massive inspiration, motivating me and giving me confidence as I go overseas. He’s shown me it’s possible it [going pro] could happen from the Nike academy and that it’s a legitimate thing.”

While Rogic and Blumberg may end up taking very different pathways to reach the top, they do share a couple of things in common.

Rogic was linked with a move to Arsenal and that’s the club Blumberg supports and hopes to play for one day. But ideally, the Sydneysider would like to share the field with his countryman in the green and gold.

Tom Rogic in action for the Socceroos.s Source: Getty Images

“It would be unbelievable to play in front of a home crowd or at the World or Asian Cup for the Socceroos,” said Blumberg.

“Obviously I’ve got to get through the young Socceroos (Under 20s) camps and impress at an earlier level before getting into the Socceroos. I haven’t been called up to a camp yet but I know Australian players have been called up while at the Nike Academy, so hopefully I’ll get a call up then and impress and get into the squad.”

Tom Rogic celebrates with Tim Cahill. Source: News Corp Australia

It’s the start of what the 17-year-old hopes is a long and exciting career, and Blumberg has a plan going forward.

“I think if I work hard, keep fit, perform consistently and take in all the coaches’ advice, work as hard as I can at every training session, and never leave anything in my tank after every game then I’ll give myself a good shot,” he said.

“The goal? A pro contract, Australian under 20s, under 23s and Socceroos caps.”

You’ve got to dream big.