In this episode, Jan calls Perth to sit down with Daniel Solsky, a 23-year-old goalkeeper who grew up in Sydney, was never in an A-League Academy, packed up his life at 18 to chase a professional career in Spain, came home without a contract, nearly quit football altogether midway through last year's NPL season, and then got a phone call from Perth Glory that changed everything.
Solsky takes us through the whole journey. From starting at Maccabi Lions at five years old as an outfielder, being turned into a goalkeeper at nine after another kid's injury, and joining Hakoah where he won the NPL 1 under 16s league. He talks about his 10-minute trial at ESFA, the goalkeeper coaches who shaped him (Trinity Allen, Dave Plowright), and modelling his game on David De Gea.
We move through his FFA Cup first grade debut for Hakoah at 17, signing for Manly United under Adam Griffiths (now head coach at Perth Glory), and the move to Cultural Leonesa in Spain at 18. Daniel is candid about the reality of playing in a tiny Spanish town at Leon, coming back to Australia without a contract, and the Wollongong Wolves NPL breakout year that put him on Perth Glory's radar.
He opens up about the moment he almost quit football midway through last year, the Sydney-to-Wollongong commute five times a week, and the Perth Glory trial that led to breaking down in tears with his grandparents when the contract came through.