The European football season is well underway across the continent. There has been no shortage of shocks already. Manchester United was humbled by Brentford 4-0, and Barcelona failed to win their opening match of the La Liga season. Perhaps the biggest shock of all was an Aussie getting minutes in the English Premier League.
The player in question? Fulham's 22-year-old NSW native Tyrese Francois.
Francois made his Premier League bow in The Cottager's 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton at the weekend. Marco Silva brought him in the final eight minutes to replace Dutch right-back Kenny Tete as Fulham looked to get a late goal to secure three points. The midfielder has made one previous appearance for the West London club during their last stint in the Premier League in 2020/21.
Far from being a first-team regular, Francois is more often seen turning out for the Fulham U-21 side. After turning 22 this past July, however, he will hope to build on this appearance and establish himself as a first-team squad member.
Francois started his career with Camden Tigers, a club located around 65km southwest of Sydney. Tyrese then moved with his family to England when he was 13 years of age. Not long after they arrived in England, he joined Fulham's academy. Only three months later, he was joined by his younger brother Marlee.
Marlee has since left Fulham and joined Bristol City's academy. He has made four appearances for The Robins in the FA Youth Cup and four appearances for Bath City in the National League South.
Although neither are full Australian internationals yet, Tyrese has represented the Olyroos [Australia's U-23 rep side]. Both brothers are eligible for both England and Australia.
WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH PSG FEMININES
Matilda's goalkeeper Lydia Williams has sealed a move to Paris St. Germain. She signed a one-year deal with the capital city club. She moved from WSL club Arsenal, whom she had been with for the previous two seasons. Williams is excited at the prospect of winning things with the French side.
"I think that there's an incredible squad here who already know each other well and who have done great things. I can't wait to be a part of it," she told the media.
MABIL MAKES CADIZ DEBUT
Awer Mabil made his debut for Cadiz against Real Sociedad in La Liga this past weekend. He came on as a halftime substitute as Los Piratas chased the game. It wasn't to be for the Socceroo as the match ended in a 1-0 defeat.
RILEY McGREE CEMENTS STARTING ROLE AT BORO
Riley McGree further cemented his place in Middlesbrough's midfield, playing the full 90 minutes for The Boro at Riverside in their 2-2 draw with Sheffield United. He has made a steady start to the season, building on his finish to last season by being a regular in Chris Wilder's team. The pressure will be on for him to influence the game more from the middle of the park if he is to remain a starter.
AARON MOOY BUILDS FITNESS WITH MORE MINUTES FOR CELTIC
Our last stop is Ange Postecoglou's Celtic side. They won their third game in a row this season, smashing Kilmarnock 5-0.
Aussie Aaron Mooy built on his first two starts to play a more substantial role in helping The Bhoys see out the game, playing 25 minutes. Mooy will look to continue building on his start at the Scottish giants with the World Cup just a few short months away.
Before you move on, why not give our Facebook page a like here. Or give our Twitter account a follow to keep up with our work here