An Aussie-born recruit now?
apparently the guy mentioned in the linked article, Shane Lowry, from Oz , has been named to the Under-17 squad
http://www.soccerhut.net/home/read.php?id=16779
Two Aussies sign for Aston Villa
Thu 14th Apr 2005
Aston Villa have made a double raid on Australia for two fledgling talents. Manager David O'Leary has obviously been casting his net far and wide in the search for fresh blood and two teenagers have caught the Midlanders' eye.
The players in question are Shane Lowry and Chris Herd.
Lowry has agreed a three-year deal with Villa after decided to leave ECU Joondalup, with sources in WA also revealing that Herd, a 15-year-old from Bayswater City, has penned similar terms.
The contracts are made up of two years of YTS, followed by one year's professional terms.
Villa are currently in mid-table in The Premiership and manager O'Leary has been promised a transfer kitty to spend in the summer on first-team candidates.
And Middlesborough have come to Australia again to bring another keeper to The Riverside.
Mark Schwarzer is the undisputed number one on Teesside and recently pledged his future to the club by signing a new contract.
Fellow Aussie Brad Jones, who played in the 1-0 defeat to champions Arsenal on Saturday, has penned fresh terms this week and looks one for the future.
And it can be revealed that Rhys Williams has joined the North East club on a three-year deal.
The 16-year-old has already played first team football in his homeland for ECU Joondalup and will be heading for England to start a new chapter in his life.
Boro have links with ECU Joondalup after they offered another keeper from the Australian club, Nick Ward, a trial back in 2003. There were also some rumours about Paul Gascoigne being farmed out to Joondalup during his stint on Teesside.
There have been some suggestions that Middlesborough will look to tour Australia in the close season if they are not competing in the InterToto Cup.
Furthermore, striker Mark Viduka, who is out for the remainder of the season through injury, is another link between Australia and Boro.