Legion Walker spent his childhood chasing wallabies and hunting food on a small island off Australia's north coast but dreamt of one day becoming a Socceroo. 

Growing up on Mornington Island, with a population of just 1,000, the 15-year-old Lardill boy had few opportunities to pursue his football dreams.

"The funnest thing for me is going fishing and hunting with my family," he said.

But his decision to travel to the New England region of NSW to compete in a little-known regional football tournament may have brought his dreams a step closer to reality.

Legion was selected to go to Germany after playing in the Rale Rasic Joeys Mini World Cup, named after the late ex-Socceroos coach.

The mastermind of the tournament, Heinrich Haussler, has already taken the youth football tournament to Hervey Bay in Queensland and Lismore, NSW.

Chance for 'overlooked' players

The tournament returned to Inverell this year for the first time since 2017.

Hailing from Germany, Haussler made a home in Inverell in the late 1980s and his passion for sport slowly tore him away from his career as a civil engineer.

"This is about giving kids from regional areas something different from the mainstream," he said.

Players of all different skill sets have their names drawn from a hat and assigned to a nation for the knockout tournament.

This year's instalment of the tournament featured 36 teams across seven grades, separated into age groups as young as under-8s to under-19s.

All eyes were drawn to a valiant Inverell side playing as Holland in the under-19s, as they upset Australia via penalties to make the final.

However their dream ended at the hands of a Lismore-infused Brazil side, 5-0.

There was also a business charity and differing ability grade, allowing for those with disabilities to get involved.

There was also a chance to play against professional sides in Germany.

Haussler selected standout players to have a trial at German clubs.

He said the 15-year-old midfielder was hard to ignore. 

"[Legion] is so quick on his feet," he said.

"His ball skills are fantastic."

Legion was part of the Joey's all-star team that finished third in the under 14s.

A dominant Germany side downed Brazil 11-0 to claim the major prize for his age group.

Legion's father, Owen Walker, said the skills his son developed on his island home translated well to the football pitch.

"His peripheral vision and instincts as a hunter have worked really well [on the football pitch]," Mr Walker said.

European aspirations

Legion will be one of at least a dozen footballers who competed at the tournament to make the trip. 

He said he was used to the challenge of changing sceneries — leaving Mornington Island for boarding school on the Gold Coast two years ago was a prime example.

"I've heard Germany is a lot different to Australia," he said.

"Germany is a very good football country. 

It comes after Ezra Frost embarked on a flight to Germany last year as one of Haussler's understudies.

It was a trip that has potentially changed his life.

At just 19 and hailing from the small footballing scene of Lismore, Frost is about to return to Europe with German club FC Schmelz to take up a 12-month playing contract.

"This is a dream come true. It's everything I wanted as a kid," Frost said.

He played in last year's edition of the Joeys Mini World Cup that was held in Lismore before being selected to join the tour to Germany.

He said it was an eye-opening experience.

"There were four of five of us that were asked to stay after the tour [in Germany]," he said.

"I'm also getting married soon, so I thought I better come home first."

Frost said the German football league was quite confusing but FC Schmelz was part of a smaller regional competition.

He said he was just excited to see where the opportunity would take him.

"I have trialled before and got overlooked but the Joeys Mini World Cup gives that opportunity to rural kids."