Kasey Bos (2004) - LB - Melbourne Victory (Australia, Band 5) - Contract Expiry: 2027

Using Australia's addition to Band 5 to fuel a potential set of players for the EFL

Over the last couple of days we have provided match reports on a couple of players who play in Band 6 but still qualify for an ESC.

Today our player is a bit more obvious in terms of playing in Band 5, but they come from a market which we suspect is going to be very popular this summer and beyond, Australia.

The A League was added to Band 5 in the last set of updates to GBE/ESC in May 2024. This means that, from an ESC perspective, if there is a player who has made five appearances in the A League or a youth domestic league administered by the Austalian FA, then they are eligible for an ESC work permit.

Whilst there is still doubt over the quality of the league as a whole, there is good reason to believe that it is a good market for exporting talent. Australian players have played in European leagues for decades, and they seem to naturally have a good conversion rate in terms of being able to settle in foreign countries.

The obvious benefit to English clubs is that there is no language barrier, and there are certain cultural similarities. Portsmouth are one EFL club who have taken little time in exploring this market with Thomas Waddingham (no work permit required due to familial passports) and Hayden Matthews (ESC) both making the move to the English South Coast in January.

We think that Kasey Bos is a player who could make the move directly to England as well. It would need to be an ambitious League One club, but they certainly exist, and with Bos’ age, he has plenty of upside to him.

---