Little more than a month on from his Australia Cup heroics, Oliver Lavale has affirmed his commitment to his boyhood club by signing his first professional contract at Western United.
The 18-year-old made headlines on his senior debut against Gold Coast Knights in the Australia Cup Round of 16, going on to score the side’s opening goal on the way to a 2-0 win.
Lavale started again in the quarter-final against Sydney FC, cementing himself among the first team and continuing to impress Western United coach John Aloisi and his coaching staff.
After making his senior National Premier League debut last season, Lavale took his game up another level to become a regular in Diogo Ferreira’s under 23’s side in 2023, scoring six goals.
Lavale said putting pen to paper on his first senior deal at a club that he loved was a surreal moment in his young career.
“It means a lot to sign with this club, I’m super excited and can’t wait to keep developing,” he said.
“I was really happy to make my first team debut and now have signed my first professional contract.
“I’m just buzzing to keep working hard and hopefully break into the first team and get some A-League men minutes.”
Aloisi hailed Lavale’s mental attributes alongside his quality, enabling him to transition seamlessly into the first team.
“Oli has made an impression from the moment that he arrived with us in the first team,” he said.
“Truth be told, we have been keeping an eye on Oli for some time in the Academy and we are extremely proud to offer him his first professional contract.
“For such a young player, Oli has tremendous maturity, commitment and mental toughness which will continue to hold him in good stead for his senior career.
“We are eager to see Oli continue to work hard and realise his potential at Western United, his boyhood Club and the club that he loves. These are the stories that we love to create and we are incredibly proud of Oli’s progress.”
Lavale has been in training with the first team throughout pre-season and will continue to work on the training pitch with an A-League Men debut on the cards this season.
Western United started its men’s season on Saturday against Melbourne City.
