Cheers
Enzo Bearzot. Thanks for you kind words.
Leckie for example looks like an AFL player trying to control and dribble a round ball.
As regards Mathew Leckie, it's funny you say that. I may be wrong, but I understand that he only started playing football around the age of 15. Before then he played Aussie Rules. Your description's bang on.
I'll say this for him... how many people who've played in the Bundesliga only started to play football at about the age of 15?
It's a mightily impressive achievement. And it comes down to his athleticism and his being a "niche" kind of footballer. Imagine if he'd played football, football, football from Day 1.
Australia needs more people with Leckie's athleticism (speed, acceleration) playing football constantly (as
bettega rightly points out) and with the right coaching (as you rightly point out) from the start.