It takes a lot of guts to be able to pack your bags after four years of university and travel to the other side of the world to chase your passion. That’s exactly what Englishmen John Pykett and Dan Westmore have done, and it’s led them to the Springvale White Eagles.
It wasn’t an easy road for the duo, with Pykett trialling with Box Hill United, Richmond SC and Dandenong City before landing at the Eagles, while Westmore also trialled at Pythagoras, before ending up at the same club.
The White Eagles’ English duo have now become key to the club’s recent successes.
Westmore says the original goal was simply to come out and trial at clubs and see where it took them.
“The plan was always to come out to Melbourne, just before the pre-season to trial, ideally for NPL [Victoria] clubs,” he says.
“Luckily enough we both managed to get Visa spots at Springvale.”
The opportunity to make a name for themselves also served as motivation for the left-back, who has become a regular in the side under new manager Nik Kovacevic.
“Football’s very saturated in England, so out here’s a bit more of an opportunity to sort of get to a good level and get recognised,” Westmore admits.
Pykett, a winger who can also play as a conventional striker, says that the style of play is more technical than back home.
“I’ve found it’s been very technical, back home it’s a lot of everything really,” he reveals.
It could have been difficult for two Englishmen to settle so smoothly to the Australian game, but the friends credit their teammates for welcoming them with open arms.
“It’s a very good squad….the team’s very tight, even with the way the results went [early in the season], the team was very positive and quite close-knit,” Westmore reveals.
“[It’s] similar to my club back home [London Colney], so I like that a lot.”
The turnaround in Springvale’s fortunes this season has been in no small part down to the work of the duo, who know each other inside-out.
Being close friends, they attended the University of Birmingham together and played for the institution’s first team.
“[We’ve] got four years of playing experience together, we know each other’s game quite well, and we can combine very well – I think we get the best out of each other when we play down the same side,” Westmore reveals.
This combination has proven fruitful for the White Eagles, with Pykett scoring four and assisting five goals so far this season, while Westmore has chipped in with two assists in the past two games.
It’s coincided with a four-game winning run, with the side having won as many games already as they did throughout the whole of last season.
Although both players are in good form currently, they concede that winning comes first and foremost.
“It’s good having a bit of form, but I like winning games, so I don’t really look at it.” Pykett admits.
“[It’s] certainly pleasing to see my form’s improved, but like John says, it’s more a reflection of if the team’s doing well, and I’m playing well, that’s a bonus,” Westmore adds.
Pykett sees no reason why the streak cannot continue on, but says the side aren’t getting ahead of themselves with over half of the season still to be played.
“I’m very confident that we can continue to pick up results. We’ve been trying to keep our heads, we’ve only won five games and have the rest of the season [with] 16 rounds still to play,” he states.
They credit, in part, the turnaround to new manager Nik Kovacevic, who still hasn’t lost a game since taking charge, following a disappointing FFA Cup exit against State League side Malvern City.
“Since Nik’s come, the intensity and the infectious attitude of the squad has risen,” Pykett says.
“Everyone turns up to training and matches that bit more confident.”
It has been an exciting few months for the duo, but they hope that the future – both individually and as a club – is bright.
When asked if he’d like to continue playing in Australia next season, Pykett is definitive in his answer.
“Definitely. I just want to see how far I can get up in football really, see what level I can play. I want to push myself just by staying fit and performing week in, week out,” he says.
Come the end of the season, Westmore is hopeful that they will remain in Australia, but says that it is a great unknown at present.
“The idea was to come out here, improve and give ourselves a chance. Then whether it takes us back out here again or home, who knows,” he says.
Springvale and their fans will be hoping that with the way things are going, the young Englishmen won’t be going anywhere.
Photo: Supplied