Rising Socceroos star Nestarios Triantis has enjoyed a debut to remember for Sunderland, scoring after he was not expected to feature in the match at all. 

The Aussie defender, a recent graduate of the A-League, discovered he was making his debut for Sunderland against Birmingham mere minutes before kick-off. 

The young talent then made an indelible mark on his first game, scoring a remarkable goal 57 minutes into the match to help Sunderland to a 3-1 win, much to the delight of the packed Stadium of Light crowd.

Mowbray praised Triantis for his composure and performance despite being ‘chucked in two minutes before kick-off.’

‘He’s come in and played a part in the goal and helped the team win,’ Mowbray said. ‘I’m really pleased because he’s an amazing young man.

Triantis, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his maiden goal on debut for Sunderland in The Championship

‘He’s hopefully got a big future at this club. For him to get chucked in two minutes before kick-off was amazing and I’m so happy for him, he’s such a nice kid, Mowbray continued.

‘Some people not in the team can moan, groan, sulk but this kid just wants to get better. After training he just wants a big bag of footballs, improve his right foot, left foot, his heading. I’m very happy for him.’

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Sunderland secured Triantis’ services in June, signing him to a four-year deal, with an initial transfer fee reportedly around $576,000. 

Prior to joining Sunderland, Triantis had made 26 appearances for the Central Coast Mariners, culminating in a memorable A-League Grand Final victory over Melbourne City earlier this month.

Sunderland’s decision to bolster their squad this season has proven crucial, as they made their way to the Championship playoffs after a five-year absence from the league. 

Injuries to key central defenders like Danny Batth, Dan Ballard, and Aji Alese had posed challenges throughout the season, making Triantis’ unexpected debut all the more significant.

The young Aussie was recruited by Sunderland in June this year after cutting his teeth in the A-League with the Central Coast Mariners

Triantis has also been selected in the final 24-man Olyroos squad to contest the AFC U23 qualifiers and is in the mix for the Paris Olympics

Meanwhile Triantis, along with fellow defender Lucas Mauragis, have received call-ups to represent the Olyroos as they prepare for the AFC U23 Asian Cup next year. 

The team’s preparations include two friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and tournament hosts Qatar, scheduled to take place at the Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Olyroos manager Tony Vidmar emphasized the significance of this period for the U23 program, marking the beginning of an important journey for the Australian U23 side as they gear up for the conditions of the Middle East.

‘We’ve secured games against teams who will provide a different challenge to those we’ve recently faced, in very similar conditions to what we’ll see in Doha next year – in terms of acclimatising the squad it ticks several boxes,’ Vidmar said.