Newcastle Jets boss Gary van Egmond expects to soon lose the club's Player of the Year, Ben Kantarovski. The 17 year-old collected the gong this week and Van Egmond told the Newcastle Herald: "This year is big for him.

"He has his HSC, he has the under-20 World Cup coming up as well as the Asian Champions League and the A-League. It is a massive year for a 17-year-old boy.

"The real good ones start [overseas] early.

"He has plenty of potential, and I would be amazed if he stayed on our shores too much longer.

"I think what is vitally important is that when he goes overseas, he goes to a good club.

"The one thing we were happy about with James Holland was that he went to a really good club in AZ Alkmaar.

"Especially when they are younger, it is important to go to a club which has good coaching and structures that they can learn from.

"He needs to get to an Ajax, an Arsenal, Bayern Munich or a Barcelona."