Meet the Bundesliga scout looking for more Leckies

He has accumulated more air miles than Richard Branson in his pursuit of football talent.

Mathew Leckie in action for Hertha Berlin Source: City-Press

Meet Borussia Monchengladbach chief scout Mario Vossen, the man who opened the Bundesliga pathway to Socceroos star Mathew Leckie, and will jet anywhere at the drop of a hat to assess the merits of potential signings for the German giant.

Last spotted in Malaysia in September with his astute gaze on the Joeys at the under-16 AFC Championship, Vossen sanctioned the signing of Gladbach’s most recent Aussie recruit, winger Christian Theoharous from Melbourne Victory back in July.

And he currently has Perth Glory’s 17-year-old attacking prospect Jacob Italiano firmly in his sights as a future recruit.

Brisbane Roar product Kwame Yeboah, another Aussie nurtured by Gladbach, didn’t end up making the cut there but Vossen knows only too well that just a select few ever will.

Vossen set the ball rolling in a blossoming relationship with Australia back in 2011 when he took the advice of agents John Grimaud and Erwin van der Schaft and flew to Adelaide to watch then teenage prodigy Leckie playing for A-League outfit United.

He also noted the potential of Robbie Kruse and keeper Mitch Langerak on the same trip, but Gladbach already had players in their positions.

Leckie was immediately snapped up and while he didn’t end up making a huge breakthrough with Gladbach, he used the club as a springboard to a Bundesliga career with Ingolstadt and now Hertha Berlin.

“We are a club who can put young talent on the stage and bring them to another level,” explained Vossen, who was immediately taken by Leckie’s pace and power.

“Maybe not every player is moving from Gladbach to Chelsea but, just like Leckie, they may have talents to become a top player in the Bundesliga.

“Australia is as a country that has interesting players. They are strong, physical and have a good mentality.

“These are things you grow to expect but there are also some with very good technical skills.

“On my first trip to see Leckie, I also saw Robbie Kruse and Mitchell Langerak, but at this time we had players to fill the goalkeeping spots and Robbie Kruse’s position. 

“So it was decided to take Mathew and that turned out to be a successful story.

“The Australian mentality is fantastic to be honest. You have the physical attributes but also an improving technical aspect ... Robbie Kruse, for example, is a very intelligent player.”

Vossen jetted to Qatar to watch his latest target Italiano, who made 17 appearances for Glory last season, in action for Australia’s Under-19s, and sees him as a player with a European career beckoning.

“With his dribbling skills and technical abilities, he’s a fantastic talent,” he explained.

“Nothing has been agreed yet but he is a player of interest to us.”

Already enrolled in Gladbach’s finishing school is Theoharous, who was also spotted by Vossen on international duty for his country, with the scout heeding the advice of Grimaud and van der Schaft to take a look at the gifted winger.

“These two agents, in my view, are excellent at identifying young players who can go on to make big progressions,” he added.

“For us, Christian is a very interesting project ... he has some special qualities. 

“But he must work on reaching the athletic level of the game in Germany. 

“We haven’t brought him to become a second team player, we want him to reach a top professional level.

“Christian is all about intelligent running, deep running and also has finishing qualities in shooting and also in crossing. At the end, for sure, I can see him as a first team player.

“It’s the hard way, and he has to adapt, but in the second part of the season he might get some minutes on the field (for the first team currently sitting third on the ladder).

Theoharous is currently in Indonesia at the AFC under-19 Championship with the Young Socceroos, but has only been used off the bench so far by coach Ante Milicic, with his durability under the microscope.

In the case of Yeboah, Vossen still believes he possesses the armoury of a top striker but has not been able to pull all the pieces of his talent together.

“He is now playing in the third division here in Germany (Fortuna Koln) and maybe he could also move up, but we were not able to bring him on this level,” he said.

“He still has potential and maybe special qualities but for Mathew Leckie it was easier to move to the Bundesliga.”

Gladbach is a haven for aspiring professionals, with their state-of-the-art training complex featuring a boarding school, a hotel and even apartments for older players.

Whether it will be home to more Australians remains to be seen.

“Every trip to Australia was worthwhile but we can’t sign every player, and we are only offering projects when we have space and the idea to develop the player to the first team,” Vossen added.