OAKLAND: Craig Foster has declared on Stan Sports’ Added Time that Lucas Herrington and Jordan Bos “can play for any club in the world” after their impressive showings against Paraguay.

Herrington’s positioning and composure on the ball has been a major talking point out of the Socceroos’ final group match, while Bos was a constant threat despite switching from his preferred position of left back to the right.

Herrington on the ball against Mexico at the Rose Bowl. Getty Images

Herrington was offered a move to Barcelona earlier in the World Cup, which was rejected by his club Colorado Rapids who are clearly holding out for a bigger transfer fee.

Mark Bosnich joined in the praise for the 18-year-old centre back and urged him to make a big move if the right offer arrives.

“Go, go, because hopefully you go there and eventually slide into the first team. That doesn’t happen always happen that way, but it can do. You’re going to be playing with better players which will make you a better player,” he said on Added Time.

“If you go to Barcelona or Liverpool and you’re not getting game time, you’re not going to drop down to the third division, you’re going to drop down to a very good Premier League, La Liga or Bundesliga side. In my opinion, there’s no downside whatsoever.”

Herrington’s club, Brisbane Roar, are likely to have serious regrets over their negotiations around selling Herrington to Colorado after he left the club this year and made his MLS debut in February.

Since then he’s made his Socceroos debut and starting World Cup debut against Paraguay in the final group stage match.

In the aftermath of Herrington’s rise, reports stated the Roar sold Herrington for $1 million, and then cashed in on a buy-out clause that entitled them to 20 per cent of his next transfer fee. That buy-out figure was reportedly around $560,000 according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

In Socceroos camp, Herrington was first to do media duties on Sunday (Monday morning AEST), before his teammate Conor Metcalfe followed.

Metcalfe was asked about the Roar’s decision and looked surprised before saying “they’ll probably be kicking themselves”.

That focus led to the Roar releasing a statement which clarified how the negotiations took place.

The club said the Rapids approached the Roar with a proposal to buy out the sell-on percentage the club had, at an increased value.

Lucas Herrington. Getty Images

“As with any decision of this size, the matter was taken to the club’s ownership group, as our governance requires. After reviewing the proposal, ownership directed the club to negotiate and reach an agreement. That is the process that was followed, properly and in full,” the club stated.

“What has been missing from the coverage is the part that matters most. How did the Roar come to hold a sell-on stake worth this much in the first place? 

“Lucas Herrington was not bought. He was identified in the Football Queensland pathway, developed and backed into professional football by this club. We supported him through our pathway, gave Lucas his opportunity in the professional game, and built his value to the point where clubs overseas were interested, after Lucas had played less than 15 professional matches.

“The transfer itself was a record for the club and the hard work to ensure a sell-on fee was added to the deal further protected the time put into Lucas by numerous coaches and support staff.

“In total, Lucas Herrington’s transfer has now returned more than AUD$1.5 million to Brisbane Roar.”

The Roar then explained how the club’s development system has brought in more than $3 million worth of transfer fees.

“The same pathway that produced Lucas is producing the next group behind him, and every dollar it earns goes back into the football club. This model, one shared by clubs around the A-League is often forgotten and not covered in totality by wider media who would rather push a certain narrative and headlines that return clicks,” the statement continued.

“We understand supporters want to see the Roar hold and build its best young players. So do we. We started on the path of heavily backing young, Queensland talent three years ago and the fruits of that path are already be produced. It is path that we will continue for many years to come. 

“We could not be prouder of Lucas and everything he has gone on to achieve. He carried this badge, he earned his move, and Brisbane Roar will share in his journey for a long time to come.

“In the immediate future, we wish both him and the CommBank Socceroos the very best in their upcoming World Cup Round of 32 clash against Egypt this weekend.”