Sydney FC striker Trent Buhagiar is licking his lips at the prospect of leading the line for the A-League champions after an impressive Asian Champions League campaign.
Sky Blues coach Steve Corica is hoping the 22-year-old Olyroo can step up with English striker Adam le Fondre's exit to Indian Super League team Mumbai City.
Le Fondre leaves the harbour city after two seasons in which he scored 39 goals in 57 games and helped win back-to-back championships.
With Sydney yet to sign a replacement for the 34-year-old, Corica is looking to Buhagiar to fill the void up front when the A-League kicks off this weekend.
The young Australian impressed during Sydney's recent Asian Champions League campaign in Qatar, scoring five goals in six matches including a brace in a 4-0 win over Aaron Mooy's Shanghai SIPG.
"Alfie's a great player. Scored many goals for us but he's moved on and obviously I have my chance to step into the team now and try and replicate what he did," Buhagiar told AAP.
"It's a massive challenge for me.
"What I did in the ACL, hopefully I can continue that into the A-League season.
"I've got a great team around me. It's not all about me replacing Alfie.
"We've got Kosta (Barbarouses) up top, he's very experienced. Ninko (Milos Ninkovic), Alex (Baumjohann), (Anthony) Caceres in behind.
"We've got a really good team."
Buhagiar has an added incentive to do well this season with a spot in Australia's squad for the Tokyo Olympics also firmly in his sights.
Only 18 players will be picked for the Games by coach Graham Arnold and Buhagiar knows the currency of goals will be a path to buying a ticket on the plane to Japan.
"The Olympics is massive. I want to make that," said the ex-Central Coast Mariner.
"I know it's going to be tough to get into that squad, it's only an 18-man squad.
"Just focused on playing well in this A-League season, scoring goals and doing what I can for the team.
"Hopefully that gets me selected into that squad because that means a lot."
