Even at a time when he may not have been much taller than a ball, soccer had coursed through Nunawading City youngster Daniel Patterson’s veins.
His father and older siblings were all already involved in the sport by the time he arrived in Australia from South Africa as a three-year-old, and his passion for beautiful game continued to grow at a rapid rate.
So much so, that just two years later he followed his brother to play club football.
“I wanted to emulate my brother, so when I turned five I played for the Eltham Eagles and I started to realise that football was something that I didn’t just want to do on the weekends but something I wanted to do all my life,” Patterson says.
The next step was to move to Doncaster Rovers at age 12, where he met two coaches who changed his life forever.
“Despite it being 40 minutes away from my house, and my parents had to drive me there two-three times a week, I could never be more thankful that I chose Doncaster,” Patterson says.
“There I was introduced to Nick Dimitrakis and Greg Mangonis, who are my mentors and coaches today at Nunawading.
“I followed them to Nunawading as they wanted to create their own unique football club, which Nunawading were very interested in them doing so, so they established a club in which technical development was put in the highest regard.”
Having always shown a knack for scoring goals, Patterson’s game was taken to a new level when the duo identified key areas of improvement for the junior.
A year in midfield saw him improve his game both on and off the ball, helping the striker become a more complete front-third player.
“I was always the striker when I was younger until I moved to Doncaster, where Nick and Greg told me that I must play centre midfield so that I could gain more awareness and increase my technical ability,” he says.
“Then when I moved to Nunawading a year later they let me go back to striker.
“At the same time I also played for North East Diamonds U14s which my coach at the time, David Stack, told me to play right and left wing because I was fast, and ever since then I’ve loved it. I love having the freedom to run with the ball and be creative whilst also scoring and assisting goals, as I feel like I can really contribute to the team in that way.”
Patterson’s devotion to the game and willingness to learn at a quick rate has often seen him elevated to play in higher age groups, while also earning representative honours.
As a 15-year-old he featured in the U18s, reserves and received a senior call up at Nunawading, before making the step up to regular senior football in State League Two at 16.
He was also selected for the Victorian U19 Schoolboys team in 2014 under Dean Starfrace, then in 2015 again, winning silver both times.
His journey culminated in a maiden season in the NPL 1, where despite a difficult campaign for Nunawading, the 18-year-old began to shine with a handful of goals and assists.
“In 2015 I played almost every game, starting the majority of them and scoring five and assisting twice in my last seven rounds. This is when I realised I was not out of my league playing in the NPL,” he says.
“At the 2015 Schoolboys we had a very young but technical team, which was coached by Adrian Mazzarella, Arthur Papas and Harry Amiridis, who all helped me and the team to play a very attractive style of football which entertained and got us a silver medal, losing out to NSW.”
“I scored seven goals and assisted seven, subsequently earning me a selection in the Australia Schoolboys. Even though there is no tour this year I am still so happy to have achieved this. It was a huge moment for me, rewarding me for all my effort I had put in throughout the year.”
Patterson is part of a Nunawading club that is noted for its concentration on youth development.
He attributes being part of a team that was sent to England last year to train at Liverpool FC and taking on their U17 team as a personal highlight.
It was a season to forget for the senior side, however, earning one point and shipping well over 100 goals in their debut NPL campaign.
While Patterson acknowledges the club’s baptism of fire, he maintains the experience helped the players become more resilient and determined to prove their worth in the competition.
“The club should be noted for its youth development, sending many young players to City and Victory as well as the young Jake Brimmer – my teammate throughout Nunawading – to Liverpool,” he says.
“The club has been so generous in letting me and many other young players experience so much senior football at a young age which I think is something incredibly unique and admirable.
“Although some may say that Nunawading’s season was not so amazing, putting their heads on a platter for so much criticism, they let kids like me achieve great things.
“It was a challenging year, but how do you improve without challenges? This is what has improved me as both a player and a person, to overcome these challenges has only bettered me.”
With the club now embarking on its second season in the NPL, Patterson says his side is better placed to make their mark and turn performances into results.
Personally, he hopes to continue improving each game and catch the attention of A-League scouts, fulfilling a lifelong dream while also aiding his side’s cause in search of some elusive victories.
“The team is very new and only starting to come together fully, but with what I’ve seen so far and with some positive changes made in the way we set up we are definitely going to be competitive,” he says.
“If we successfully do what we are trained to do then the results will come, if we get some wins it will be great because we would’ve got them the way we wanted to earn them – by playing our style of football.
“I always want to contribute to the team and if I can always try my best and continue the form I had at the end of last season I think that I will have a very successful season.
“I want to really break through this year and prove to people what I can do. Of course I’d love to earn a trial with a youth A-league team and show them what I’ve got to offer, but right now I’d rather focus on the season and hopefully the rewards will come naturally.
Images: Graeme Furlong