Haine Eames is a 17-year-old midfielder who plays for Central Coast Mariners in the A-League. Eames has established himself as a fairly regular starter for the Mariners this season and has reportedly popped up on Liverpool’s radar.
Eames is 5’8 (1.78M) and is quite strong and quick considering his age. Obviously, Eames, born in 2008, is going to be at a physical disadvantage against grown men. But he is good at using his body to protect the ball and holds his own in physical battles. Eames very rarely loses the ball through passing, however he does not play a lot of progressive passes. I think this is partly down to Eames not being used to the speed of senior football yet. There are lots of times when you can see Eames shaping up to play a progressive pass but he hesitates a moment too long and is forced to play a safe pass to his teammate. Therefore I think his progressive passing will improve as he gains experience. Eames clearly sees the passes, but his decision-making is a little bit too slow to execute them consistently. He is also quite good at retaining possession under pressure, though usually, that is in the form of a backward or a sideways pass. Eames has a strong first touch and good close control. He does not carry the ball very often but he has the skills to become a good ball carrier. Eames is not shy of attempting shots from outside the box, though he does not get many shots in more dangerous areas. Eames is generally the furthest midfielder back in the build-up so he does not spend very much time in the final 3rd.
Eames has some interesting defensive skills. The Mariners play in a very low block and Eames is effective at screening opposing players and preventing progressive passes. He makes quite a lot of interceptions thanks to his strong positioning. Eames is not as effective at winning the ball back through tackling, as he is a little bit slow to close players down. Again, I think this is something that will improve with time and experience. As mentioned above, Eames is strong in physical duels and I think that will make him a stronger tackler when he can cover ground more effectively.
At this moment, Eames is a fairly weak player at A-League level. But he is not a total liability and when you consider his age, I can see why big clubs would be interested. Over the next two seasons, I can see Eames developing into a top A-League player and moving abroad when he turns 18. I could see him eventually being an effective defensive midfielder in the top-5 leagues if he continues to develop. Though he would need to take some steps in between the A-League and that level.
Target Scouting 