Meet the young Aussie striker starring in Asia

Unwanted in the A-League, young Australian striker Harrison Sawyer is making his mark overseas.

Harrison Sawyer, left, in action for the Newcastle Jets Source: Getty Images

After a stellar debut season in the Philippines Football League last year with Davao Aguilas, Sawyer is getting ready to kick off a new campaign in Hong Kong with Tai Po.

The 21-year-old, Australia's answer to Peter Crouch at 195cm tall, had brief spells with Brisbane Roar's youth team and then the Newcastle Jets where he made his A-League debut in 2017.

But now the goalscorer has set his sights on helping his new club chase glory in the Hong Kong Premier League in 2018-19.

"The team I'm at finished second last season, this season they have aspirations of being champions of the domestic league," he told The World Game.

"I want to contribute as much as I can to that, and on a personal level I want to continue scoring goals.

"The team has also qualified for the AFC Cup, so I want my team to really announce ourselves on the international stage and really make a mark there. I just want to keep building and improving.

"Moving overseas as a young footballer, especially in Asia, it takes a bit of mental strength. It has really developed me and matured me on and off the field I think.

"There's a bit more pressure playing as a foreign player in Asia and it brings the best out of you. I like that because I want to keep improving and become the best."

Born and raised in Brisbane, Sawyer came through the ranks at North Star and the Western Pride before joining the Roar's youth team in 2016. After a stint there he was snapped up by Newcastle.

Sawyer bagged a hat-trick on his NYL debut for the Jets against Sydney FC and was then rushed into the club's first team. The centre-forward's first taste of A-League football came in a 2-0 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers in January 2017.

Sawyer played five A-League games for the Jets, but Newcastle picked up the wooden spoon that season. With Mark Jones sacked in April and the Hunter outfit rebuilding, the striker left and rejoined Western Pride in the Queensland NPL.

"I really enjoyed it in Newcastle," he said.

"It's a good city and I improved while I was there and learnt a lot about professionalism. [But] it was a little tough. The season didn't turn out how we wanted it to.

"When the season finished at Newcastle I decided to sign with the Western Pride to keep me fit and get some more games in. I did pretty well, scored 15 goals in I think seven games there.

"I got the confidence I needed from there and then I got a call from the Philippines before the next A-League pre-season started. They were coached by Gary Phillips at the time."

Sawyer was a big hit in the Phillipines, bagging 13 goals in 24 appearances. The Queenslander admits it was shock to the senses in Manila but quickly adapted to his new surroundings.

"It was a new club when I joined, new to the league, and it was good to get more games in a professional league under my belt," he explained.

"I managed to get the Golden Boot for Davao, even though I played half the season. So they extended me another year. It was a bit of a culture shock when I first moved.

"The traffic there was crazy, ridiculous. In Manila there's some nice areas. I enjoyed where I was living and it wasn't too crazy there.

"In the Philippines Football League there's some good sides and there's teams that aren't as competitive, the ones down the bottom of the table.

"The league's a bit unpredictable but there are some strong sides like Ceros-Negros who do quite well in the AFC Cup, and they qualified for the Asian Champions League and beat Brisbane Roar. There are some tough games."

Sawyer's goalscoring exploits in south-east Asia alerted Tai Po and in July he was loaned to the Chinese club. On Saturday the Hong Kong Premier League season kicks off as Tai Po take on Hong Kong Pegasus.

While the giant forward's taste of the A-League was brief, Sawyer has ambitions to break back into the competition and is working hard each day to fine-tune his game.

"I just want to keep building and climbing as much as you can," he said.

"If that means an avenue into the A-League was going to come up, then maybe that would be a good option. For now I’m just taking it game-by-game, keep building and scoring goals.

"Any move in an upward direction is good for me. I'm working hard outside of team training to evolve my game and be the best I can.

"As any striker does, scoring goals is the best feeling. I love getting into the box to be a threat because I'm obsessed with scoring goals.

"My playing style, being so tall and big, I like to be direct and use my body and try and be a threat in the box. I base my game on getting on the end of things and scoring goals."