“The step up so far has been good,” he continued. “Being able to learn from players in my position who are experienced such as Joe Lolley and Anthony Caceres is going to help me with my development.”

Quintal sees himself as a number 10 and is known for his creativity and playmaking ability on the field. The young prospect also has talents for dribbling and one on one contests.



Head Coach Ufuk Talay is confident that this addition to the Sky Blue squad will improve their talent filled roster.

“Tiago is a creative player. We think he is going to be one of those special players that can play between the lines. He is a lefty and can play as a number nine or a number 10.

“He is very good in one v one situations and can score goals. For us, he is another quality player coming through the academy,” he said.

Hailing from Baulkham Hills, with Portuguese and Italian parentage, he previously represented Blacktown City and Southern Districts prior to joining the Sky Blues and has also represented Australia in the Under 17’s (Joeys).

“I played in the national team for Joey’s last year. This past year has been where I have had to work the hardest to reach this level.

“It was an amazing experience being on the bench [for ALM vs Brisbane] and watching the game up close and being around The Cove. It was like a dream come true.”

Technical Director – Youth, Kelly Cross believes he has the qualities to become a successful A-League player.

“We always knew Tiago had special qualities from the age of 11,” he explained.

“He is one of those rare players who believes his prime function is to beat his immediate opponent with skill and deception.

“We kept our faith in him during those years where he was too small to have maximum effect, and while his growth spurt made him seem quite ordinary.

“Tiago has come through that period and has been progressing very well in our National Premier League team. He now looks like he is capable of making a difference and an impact at A-League level for us.”