Brian Kaltack

The accolade comes as the Vanuatu national captain prepares for the A-League Grand Final on Saturday against Melbourne City FC in Sydney.

Kaltak said his people will rally behind him for the final, with his village in Vanuatu watching it together in a community hall.

The team of the year includes the league's top scorer Jamie Maclaren, who will be hoping to his 24 strikes so far for Melbourne in the final, Australian World Cup player Craig Goodwin and Brazilian import Marcelo.

After impressing at the recent Vanuatu National Team camp in Doha, Brian Kaltack has been invited to trial with the professional club in New South Wales.

Brian will spend the next few weeks with the club who is currently pushing for finals with seven games to go.

Brian’s football career start at the Vanuatu Football Federation’s football Academy at Teouma, where he is a product of the first ever Academy intake. He later played with his home Club Erakor Golden Star FC before playing in New Zealand, and most recently Auckland City Football Club.

Kaltack, who is based in New Zealand where he plays for Auckland City FC in the national league, wants to be a full-time professional in the future.

The defender is following a similar route to Krishna who turned out for Waitakere United and Auckland City in New Zealand’s domestic league before graduating to a professional deal with the Wellington Phoenix in 2014 where his career exploded.

Krishna now captains ATK Mohun Bagan FC in the Indian Super League and Kaltack said Krishna had shown what was possible for players from the Pacific Islands.

Family, friends, school, the sea and football surrounded him and each of them set the foundations for the journey he has found himself on since he was chosen as part of the first intake of the Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) Academy Programme.

Although the 25-year-old has been able to seize the opportunities that have come his way, he said it has not been an easy, or typical, ride.

“Growing up in Vanuatu, where I came from, is not easy,” he stated.

The 23-year-old always occupied a high place on coach Phil Keinzley’s shopping list after making a favourable impression on him when he had a brief stint with Wairarapa United about three years ago.

So needless to say he was delighted to confirm yesterday that he had got his man.

What appealed most about Kaltak to Keinzley was his versatility.

Most of his football has been played at central back or outside back but he has also made a favourable impression in midfield and as striker.