At just 17-years-old, central defender James Karvelis has experienced the highs and lows that football has to offer.
In 2011 the former Oakleigh Cannon’s youngster was invited to join the youth squad at Melbourne Heart training under John Aloisi and Arthur Pappas, and in early 2012 was offered trials with English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.
Disaster struck for Karvelis when, just weeks before he was set to fly to England, he suffered a freak injury in a friendly match. Having won the ball in a typically strong challenge, he acted as the crash-matt for his opponent and suffered a broken rib and punctured lung as a result.
After several weeks of recovery James travelled to England for trials despite still being in pain from his injuries. He admits that success was a long shot but that the opportunity was too big to resist.
“I had a full session with the Blackburn youth team and I felt I did alright. I was a bit surprised by the intensity of it. Every challenge is 100 per cent.”
After a further session in the gyms James was advised that there was no point continuing with the trial as it was obvious that he was playing in too much pain. His UK agent, Luke Haslam told us, “The club acknowledged that his attitude had been exemplary and his commitment in playing whilst injured was noted. Based on what they saw in the two sessions they have already invited him to come back once he’s fully fit.”
Having been advised that further trials would be unwise due to his condition, James had to turn down subsequent offers to train at Middlesbrough and at St Mirren in Scotland, but used his time in England to soak up some of the football culture – taking tours of Anfield and Old Trafford (James is a big United fan), and attending a memorable 3-3 draw between Manchester City and Sunderland.
Once all injury concerns have cleared up, James will be playing for the youth team at South Melbourne for the remainder of this season, beyond that his options are open – whether he takes up the opportunity to reach his potential overseas or here in Melbourne, we wish him the best of luck.
