“I was born into the game," said Talladira, whose father, Carlo, a former Adelaide City player and coach, laid the foundation for his love of football. 

“Ever since I was a kid, I just watched him playing. He was my coach for a lot of the junior years.”

Having been part of the junior Australian set-up for a while now, the 19-year-old is ready to lead his teammates through another challenge – Wednesday’s China 2025 semi-final against Japan with Talladira admitting he is eyeing revenge.

The Adelaide United starlet was part of the Australian U17 team that lost 3-1 to Japan in the quarter-finals of the 2023 edition in Thailand, and he is determined that the Young Socceroos will get the better of the East Asian side this time around.

“Going into any tournament, the goal is to win it. We’ve done a lot of preparation since the start of this cycle. We’ve been to many places and top countries, and the preparations continue until the FIFA U20 World Cup (Chile 2025).

“The players are really confident. Our goal is to win the AFC U20 Asian Cup™. After four wins, we’re ready to keep going and winning the title."

Seeking to win the AFC U20 Asian Cup title for the first time, Australia are the only side to have advanced with a perfect record and Talladira said it will be all about focus for him as an individual and for the team overall. 

“To stay relaxed as a defender, it’s all about communicating and talking a lot to the players in front of you. Making sure they know what to do, and also being loud on the field, feeling like you're always engaging with the ball. It’s more mental than physical. As a defender, sometimes you may not touch the ball for 10 to 15 minutes, so the best thing is to stay focused.”

Adaptability is something that has been critical in Australia’s run to the semi-finals.

“You have to get along quickly. You're only here for three or four weeks max. It’s different from at the club, where you’re with the same team all year round, with the same players and plenty of friends in the team.”

With Australia one match away from the final, it can be easy for a youngster like Talladira to lose focus but the defender is not worried.

“Nothing has changed. I love the game and have a lot of joy on the field.”