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Manchester United rising star James Overy has received a surprise call-up to the Australia national team for this month's clashes with Venezuela and Colombia . Socceroos manager Tony Popovic has included 11 new faces in his squad, with United academy talent Overy poised to continue his meteoric ascent following his impressive displays at the U20 World Cup. Overy, who celebrates his 18th birthday this weekend, joined United during the summer of 2024 on a scholarship agreement before securing a professional deal in July. In May, Ruben Amorim brought him and several other youngsters into first-team training at Carrington prior to the Premier League encounter with Chelsea. Shortly after arriving at the Red Devils, Overy was sidelined for eight months through injury before making his bow for the Under-18s in February, reports the Manchester Evening News . This campaign, he has been a consistent presence in Darren Fletcher's side and has also turned out for the Under-21s in Premier League 2 and the National League Cup. Former Under-18s manager Adam Lawrence praised Overy's ability to bounce back from the long-term injury. “It’s been really hard for James because obviously he’s made the move from Australia and he’s a terrific lad, first of all," he told MUTV. “But he got injured in pre-season and you can see he’s such a great lad, a great kid and has such good energy and he wanted to be back. A real credit to him because he stayed positive throughout. "It’s not affected him in terms of his positivity. And listen, it’s obviously disappointing what’s happened in the game, but for him to be back and playing football again is brilliant." Looking ahead to the forthcoming international window, Overy will now aim to take the next leap in his career after earning his place in the Australia squad. Injuries to several established players have prompted Popovic to hand opportunities to numerous fresh faces. "It's another opportunity to expand the depth and introduce players who have not yet been exposed to the Socceroos environment or senior international football," Popovic said. "We also welcome back some familiar faces, from Australia and abroad. "I've had the chance to closely observe the opening rounds of the A-League season, and we believe this is the ideal time to integrate domestic players into the squad. We are delighted to be back in the United States to face strong South American opposition as we continue our preparations for the World Cup." Australia will take on Venezuela in Houston on November 14 before facing Colombia in New York. The international break represents one of the final opportunities for players to stake their claim ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The Socceroos have already booked their spot in the summer tournament and will target advancing beyond the round of 16 for the first time, having fallen to Argentina in Qatar in 2022. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
