James Overy could soon have the unique distinction of having represented his national team before making a debut in a top-flight league, with the 18-year-old who plies his trade with Manchester United on the verge of making his debut for the Socceroos.
The young defender from Perth has caught the eye of many in the football world, with his talent earning him a Socceroos call-up at just 18 years old.
While it is unclear if Overy will get minutes in the upcoming international window – where Australia will face Venezuela and Colombia – his first national team camp could put him on a path to a ticket to next year’s FIFA World Cup.
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But if he does get his Socceroos debut in this international window he’ll do so without having played a single game in a first team at any club in the world.
Overy is a product of the Perth Glory academy and represented the team at the age of 15 in a friendly match against West Ham in 2023, but he did not feature in the A-League.
That match against West Ham was a turning point in his young career, with Manchester United scouts showing interest in him. He then made the move to England, where he joined non-league team Newton Abbot Spurs in 2024.
Manchester United FC U21’s James Overy in action during the National League Cup. CameraSport via Getty Images
A short stint at the club then saw him poached to join United on a four-year deal, where he has received regular invitations to train with Ruben Amorim’s first team.
Since inking a deal with one of the world’s biggest clubs, Overy has climbed up the Australian ranks, featuring in the U18, U20 and now Socceroos squad lists.
However, just 12 months ago, he was representing a different nation on the global stage.
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Overy made his international debut with the Scottish U18s team before he switched his allegiance to represent the green and gold jersey in the international U20s tournaments.
There are strict rules that must adhere to for players to be switch international allegiance, with those regulations tightening when the athlete reaches a senior level.
A player must identify the nations which they have ties with before they play in a senior game. The cannot represent a nation that was not identified prior.
In Overy’s case, he is eligible to play for Scotland due to his mother’s heritage. He is also available for selection on any Australian team as it was the country he was born in.
James Overy battles for possession against Jade Quinones of Cuba during the 2025 U-20 World Cup. FIFA via Getty Images
Had he represented Scotland’s senior team in more than three matches before his 21st birthday, Overy would be unable to change his allegiance to the green and gold.
At youth level, he represented Scotland in two international friendlies in March 2025.
Just three months later, he donned the young Socceroos jersey in the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. In September, he represented Australia at the U20 World Cup.
It is not uncommon in the modern era for players to represent different nations at youth level, with Brazil’s Andreas Pereira and England’s Declan Rice notable examples.
Pereira never lived in Brazil but was eligible to represent the nation due to his father, despite representing Belgium, his place of birth, throughout his youth career. He earned his first call-up in 2018.
As for Rice, he was born in England but elected to represent his grandparents’ Irish heritage and joined the Republic of Ireland’s senior team in three games. Those friendly matches did not interfere with his eligibility to switch back to play for England, although they would have had he played in four games. He now features regularly for England.
Overy is not the only player receiving his first call-up for the Socceroos, with Patrick Beach, Kai Trewin and Tomi Juric all named by Popovic.
Australia’s first game in the upcoming international window will be against Venezuela, with kick-off scheduled at 1am AEDT on Sunday, November 16.