Central Coast Mariners sensation Haine Eames is among the top 10 Under-20 players worldwide in a list shared by the CIES Football Observatory.
Eames ranks equal sixth for most assists and second assists per 90 minutes for U20 players across the 45 non-big-five top divisions in the world (at least 630 domestic minutes played), according to CIES.
The history-making 17-year-old is level with Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan and BK Hacken’s Pontus Dahbo on 0.26, with 17-year-old Porto star Rodrigo Mora (0.55) leading the way, ahead of Thomas Jorgensen (0.44) of Viborg, Brondby’s Noah Hartey (0.37) and Motherwell star and reported Celtic target Lennon Miller (0.29).
Trencin’s Tadeas Hajovsky (0.22) and Adriano Jagusic (0.22) of Slaven Belupo – both aged 19 – round out the top 10.
It has been a memorable season so far for Eames in Gosford.
Last month, Eames became the youngest player ever to wear the captain’s armband in AFC Champions League history during Central Coast’s 2-0 loss J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale in the ACL Elite.
That is just one of the many records broken by Eames in 2024-25.
He has already etched his name in the history books as the Mariners’ youngest ever player and goalscorer.
“When I first came into the club, I can remember watching, I go quite often and watch the academy work,” Mariners head coach Mark Jackson said on an episode of Total A-Leagues.
“I stood with Matt Simon. He said, ‘Listen, this kid here, he’s only only 15, and every time he gets bumped up an age group or gets given a challenge by playing up or playing against all the players, he just takes it in his stride’.
“So we got to a stage at the end of last season, I said okay well let’s test him now, and let’s bring him up with the A-League. He did exactly that. It just fitted straight into what we were doing. He’s actually developed quite a bit physically in a short space of time, but he still looks very young.
“But he’s done that, and he does that from every session we work on every game is getting stronger and stronger. He is a real level headed young man. He’s got an abundance of talent and potential.
“He’s a really level headed young man who just gets on with it, takes everything in his stride.
