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Garang Kuol has not even started an A-League Men game but Socceroos teammate Mitchell Duke is convinced the wunderkind can prove a game-changer on football's biggest stage.
Brilliant teenager Kuol is the youngest member of Australia's World Cup squad in Qatar and shapes as a tantalising option off the bench for Graham Arnold.
The 18-year-old dazzled with a wonderful two-goal cameo against Macarthur FC in his final game for the Central Coast Mariners before the World Cup, including a sublime finish from a tight angle.
Kuol, who will depart for English Premier League side Newcastle United in January, also has two assists this A-League Men season and has been involved in the build-up to several other goals for Central Coast.
Duke, Australia's likely starting striker, expects the young winger to make an impact if given an opportunity in Qatar.
"Absolutely (he could). He's a real X-factor, he's an excitement machine," former Mariners striker Duke told reporters in Doha.
"To see some of the stuff he's doing at such a young age consistently, I know he's not started a game, but he's consistently doing his performances off the bench.
"And that's all you can ask of him - when he plays, he does a job.
"So for us, against the teams that we're playing against, to have that X-factor is a huge plus. He definitely can flip a game on its head.
"You see some of the Mariners games where they're 2-0 down, he's coming on, equalising the game with two goals or two assists, or he's creating something and that's going to be massive for us, especially in such a big tournament."
Teammate Thomas Deng, who with winger Awer Mabil has been a mentor for Kuol, has delighted in the teenager's rise.
"He's just a wonderful kid," Deng told reporters.
"Full of confidence and he's come in here and everyone loves him, everyone gets along with him.
"For me and Awer, we've just tried to look after him and make his transition a lot easier. I'm just so happy that he's got this opportunity.
"To experience a World Cup at 18 years old, it's definitely going to better his career. He has a really bright future."
