South West Victoria Football Association president Nathanael Amartey outlines vision for league's future

The English-born Amartey, who was "absolutely buzzing" by the appointment, wants to grow and develop the burgeoning league which covers from Warrnambool to Portland, Hamilton and Stawell.

"We all have the same vision to play soccer," Amartey, 30, said. "Ultimately we want the league to be more competitive. I'm just happy to join the team and hopefully head us into the right direction. It's not just going to be one idea but a collection of ideas with the same vision."

Capitalising off the recent success of the Socceroos' FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar, where the squad reached the final 16 stage for the first time in 16 years, will be paramount to SWVFA's ambitions.

The Socceroos' success, coupled with the arrival of the FIFA Women's World Cup on Australian shores next July, will give the sport at least 12 months to inspire and capture the attention of the nation's youth.

"I feel youth and kids are paramount (to the league)," Amartey said. "They are the most important ingredient to longevity and success. Starting with kids and getting them out there on the field and getting them enjoying the game."

At their core, Amartey and the league will aim to foster that enjoyment of the game to bolster participation.

"It starts off with enjoyment," he said. "If I look at myself, or any person who has played at a professional level will tell you of the first time they played. It was simply, you get out on the field with a ball and it's about enjoyment and participation. That's what I feel Australia played with... and went for it."

Amartey believes this year's World Cup showing from Australia felt different to its 2006 fortunes.

"Just simply because of the timing of it," he said of the World Cup's later November start this year. "It's around Christmas, I get this different feeling.

"Before it was Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka... but Australia reaching the last 16 (this year) and the way they did it and the way they fought and had courage, even in that last 16 game (against Argentina) they could have nicked a goal at the end.

"It was a fantastic opportunity for people to see Australia is growing with soccer and with courage and determination and a bit of support, it was great to see the nation get behind them. With support we can do big things on the world stage.

"If we can capitalise on that, right now it's hot... I feel like that's going to give kids a little bit more enthusiasm to want to play."

While participation and enjoyment of the game will be cornerstone values for the league, it will also look to strengthen its pathways towards professional-playing opportunities both nationally and abroad.

"Hopefully with the ones who want to, we're going to try and create some pathways for them to go further up the ladder," Amartey said. "Hopefully we can be one of the many associations across Victoria and Australia that provides some talent for the Socceroos and Matildas."

Amartey's experience and connections in the world game are expansive.

Starting out at English club MK Dons, Amartey later spent a few months immersed at Chelsea FC.

"I gained a lot of experience there," he said of the English Premier League club. "And then I was selected to represent England under 19s."

Amartey's cousin Daniel currently plays for premier league club Leicester City and represented Ghana at this year's World Cup. Amartey himself travelled Europe playing soccer, with stints in Belgium, Holland, including at FC Twente and Feyenoord, as well as France and Spain.

"I've been lucky enough to have training, in Holland was probably where I had a massive amount of experience," he said.

But it was an Australian accent at the other end of a phone call as he sat in a hotel room abroad that eventually convinced Amartey to cross the pond to coach kids and promote the world game down under.

"I thought 'why not do something positive and good and hopefully give back to youth and people who would like soccer to grow'," he said.

Amartey, whose wife Melissa is originally from Warrnambool, hopes to bring that experience to the SWFVA after a stint in Shepparton coaching within its junior soccer association.

One player Amartey remembers from his time in Shepparton is 18-year-old Socceroo Garang Kuol, who went from the Shepparton-based NPL club Goulburn Valley Suns to signing with English Premier League club Newcastle in the space of two years.

"That's a prime example, with the right funding and right people in place, you can create something and have continued success," Amartey said. "He's just one of hopefully many that will cross the pond and showcase the talent in Australia."

With his experience working regionally, Amartey wants to bridge the gap between metropolitan and regional talent with the formation of a NPL side based in the south-west.

"The area is more than big enough and we have the talent," he said. "We just don't have the opportunity and also the funding for it but we do have the enthusiasm for it here. You start off, it might be NPL2 and again we need to implement some structures of more coaches wanting to coach kids, more trained coaches as well."

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