But to compare a youngster with one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world would be grossly unfair to Speers, 11, who is entering just his second year with the gloves on and has recently been signed to train at the International Goalkeepers Academy at Blacktown Olympic Park.

Speers, who is from North Wilberforce, played two years for the Wombats in under 6s and 7s and a season for Glossodia in under 9s, and indeed signed with Wilberforce at the start of last season, only to be on the move when they couldn’t field an under 11s team.

Glossodia’s under 11s were full, so he joined Colo president David Thurston’s 11/3 line-up, but soon received a rude shock.

“The coach told everyone to pick a position and everyone else went up forward, midfield or striker and I said ‘I’ve done goalkeeping before, why not today’, so I sat in the goalkeeping position and the coach said ‘this is your position for the whole year’ and I was like ‘oh my God’,” Speers said.

His mum, Trish, said it took a couple of weeks of counselling before he came around to the idea, and he was quickly identified by Thurston as a special talent and sent to a one-week camp.

From there he was quickly signed up and now trains under former Socceroo Jim Fraser, Sydney FC keeper Clint Bolton and Schwarzer’s brother Daniel, learning the ropes of the hardest and most thankless job on a soccer team.

Speers won Colo’s junior sports-person award last season and has been selected in the Cougars’ under 12/1 squad for this season and is raising funds for a 15-day tour of England where he will meet high profile players and coaches and experience training at a professional level.

At Blacktown, he trains three days a week, 48 weeks a year in all conditions, with no let up for extreme weather, including the 40-plus degree days this summer.

Gym, nutrition and psychologist sessions are also part of the program, which only has eight young keepers under contract.

“It’s really experiencing and really challenging – when Jim gets to know you he really pushes you, he doesn’t hold back,” Speers said.

Trish, meanwhile, had nothing but praise for Thurston.

“David’s just been fantastic and has encouraged Jarrah like you wouldn’t believe, and I think that’s why he is where he is,” she said.