Fulton was among four Northern players in a Tasmanian under-15 team that has just attended a national talent identification tournament at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

Along with Launceston United teammate Mitch Lockhart plus Mason Gardner, of Launceston City, and Northern Rangers goalkeeper Reef Murfet, they played six games in three days, initially in their state team but then in mixed squads with players from elsewhere around the country.

Football Federation Tasmania Northern technical manager Anthony Alexander accompanied the team, which also included Kynan West, of Burnie, and Devonport’s Jayden Last with the remainder from Hobart.

He said Australian soccer can learn much from a nation like Belgium which was ranked as low as 66^th by FIFA in 2009 but has since rocketed to fifth and was even first in 2015, above World Cup winner Germany.

While Australia’s overall population is double that of Belgium, Alexander said they have about the same number of registered soccer players.

And neither nation can afford to overlook diminutive but skillful players like Fulton or De Bruyne.

“At about 15, Kevin De Bruyne was very small but by the time he was 19 he was playing in the Belgian national team and now he’s a dominant player in the English Premier League,” Alexander said.

“We have about the same number of participants playing the game as Belgium – close to one million registered players – and cannot afford to throw away potential talent. 

“Fletcher is someone you don’t dismiss at 15 because by the time he is 17 or 18 could be among the best players in the state, so it’s important you don’t let players like that drop off the radar.

“To be competitive you have to hold onto players that other countries might dismiss.”

Fulton (pictured above in the centre of the front row) proved the point in Canberra, scoring two goals in the state games and four more when the teams were re-selected, including a hat-trick.

“The Northern boys performed particularly well,” Alexander added. “They performed well and did the state proud. The best thing they got out of it was an insight into the standard if they are serious about going to the next level.  They learn a lot of aspects of playing at the higher level which helps them with things like decision-making and it is also good motivation if they are serious about progressing forward.”