He will have to overcome the disappointment of not progressing to the next stage for the under-15 Youth Championships in July.

But it’s a challenge he’s looking forward to overcoming and the 15-year-old knows every goal worth pursuing will have its setbacks.

Sherratt trained with the Australian side last month for a week and admitted he would take the feedback to help him become a better player.

“They told me I need to get stronger on my left foot,” he said.

“It was a good experience and you can tell the difference with the speed and the different kind of coaching that we have at Newcastle than there is around Australia.

“All the technical drills were very good.”

The teenager wasn’t going to walk around kicking stones – he was focused on getting better.

“I was disappointed I didn’t make it, but I told mum and dad that I’d just work harder and keep going until I finally get an email or a phone call to say I can go down there and trial again,” he said.

“Hopefully I can go away with the team again next year some time.”

The setback with the Joey’s side is little more than a bump in the road for Sherratt, who moved to Newcastle in April to chase his dream of becoming a professional football player.

Despite not making the next stage for selection in the team, the talented defender was told not to give up.

It doesn’t mean he won’t be recalled into the squad down the track if injuries play their part or if his improvement is too much to ignore.

“Them telling me that softened it a bit but now I know I have to work harder so I can get in the team finally and go overseas with them,” he said.

He has already made the tough decision to move away from home on April this year because he felt it would be more beneficial in chasing his Newcastle Jets goal.

The difference between spending a week in a national setup compared to the Jets was an eye-opening experience.

“Down at the Jets it’s good training, but when you hit the Australian training area its a lot more intense and a lot more set so you have certain things you have to do each day,” he said.

“You do what you would do in a professional environment.”

He admitted to having a soft spot for the A-League club and wanted to make a name for himself in Australia before heading abroad.

Prior to that he headed down the Pacific Highway three nights a week to train with the Jets before he backed up and went to Regional College the following day.

They finalise the squad in January next year for what they will take away for the next 12 months.