Ex-Wellington Phoenix playmaker Sarpreet Singh’s dream start to life at Bayern Munich has continued after he was named in the club’s UEFA Champions League squad.
Despite yet to feature competitively for the first team, Singh has been included in Niko Kovac’s 28-payer squad for the Group Stage.
Singh is part of a strong Bayern squad that includes the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and new signing Philippe Coutinho.
And the 20-year-old could come up against Caltex Socceroos defender Milos Degenek, with the German champions pitted against Red Star Belgrade, Tottenham and Olympiacos.
Singh featured heavily for Bayern in pre-season but is now playing for the club’s reserve team in Germany’s 3. Liga.
He scored a spectacular goal in the team's clash with Unterhaching last week, which is in the running to win the club’s best goal scored in August.
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Pre-season hard yards a breeze for Le Fondre
You won’t find many players who say they enjoy the hard running and intense drills associated with pre-season training.
But Sydney FC striker Adam Le Fondre is one who would much prefer to be doing the hard yards on the pitch than anywhere else.
“One [pre-season] I did with Rochdale when I was really young we had to jump from a 30-foot rock into a little rock pool down below,” Le Fondre explained to Sydney FC’s official website.
“Every person had to do it to show they were in the team and part of the group.
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“I was one of the last three in the team to do it with a lad who was afraid of heights and the other one couldn’t swim.
“But we all got through it together and that sort of thing helps brings the group together.”
Le Fondre will be hoping coach Steve Corica doesn’t have anything special planned as the Sky Blues head to Cairns for a pre-season training camp this week.
Sydney FC will train in the region between September 6-11, while a they will play a trial match against a Far North Queensland Select XI at Barlow Park on Saturday.
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City sink Mariners as impressive form continues
Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes was enough for Melbourne City to beat Central Coast Mariners in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the club base on Wednesday.
City dominated possession and chances for much of the first-half but had to wait until six minutes before the break to get their reward.
Frenchman Florin Berenguer started and finished the move with a neat half-volley after excellent interplay with Scott Jamieson and Rostyn Griffiths.
Just before the break youngster Ramy Najjarine doubled the lead, meeting a cross with a sublime curling effort past keeper Adam Pearce.
The win maintains Erick Mombaerts’ unbeaten start to life as City coach ahead of the club’s FFA Cup 2019 Quarter Final against Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park on Wednesday, September 18.
The Mariners are also still alive in the FFA Cup, taking on Victorian NPL side Hume City in the last eight on Tuesday, September 17.
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