Four years ago, Luke Brooke-Smith thought he’d hit the jackpot when he got the chance to be a ball boy for Hamilton Wanderers.

“I was 11, just arrived to live in the Waikato and it was a national league match,” recalls the Whangarei-born midfielder.

“I looked at Derek Tieku as we walked out for the game, and thought it was wonderful to be there, beside a player like him.”

Now, former Crystal Palace striker and Wanderers’ Golden Boot winner Tieku (29) and Brooke-Smith (15) will be teammates after the youngster’s move from Lotto NRFL Southern Conference side Cambridge to join Wanderers ahead of the 2024 Northern League season.

Brooke-Smith began as a player with the RH3 Football Academy in Whangarei and switched to the Cambridge centre when he moved south in 2019.

His dedication to his sport, and his continuing development, has led to a rapid rise from junior football to New Zealand’s top domestic tier of regional football.

He made his senior football debut for Cambridge in the Southern Conference only 18 days after his 15th birthday, securing a regular place with the side after WaiBOP Football gave the club special dispensation for him to play as a senior.

Brooke-Smith says he’s grateful Cambridge gave him his first chance to play senior football, and in a supportive environment.

Last December, Brooke-Smith spent a week training at men’s A-League club Melbourne City during his school holidays. The invitation to train at the club followed a game between City’s academy side and the RH3 touring party that competed at Victoria’s Shepparton Cup tournament.

In January 2024, Brooke-Smith spent a month with Spanish professional club CF Rayo Majadahonda who play in the Primera Federación.

The club operate a High-Performance PRO Centre to help young players integrate into a professional football programme, providing access to all the resources necessary to become an elite player.

RH3 founder Ricki Herbert says Brooke-Smith’s opportunities have been earned with hard work and dedication.

“He fully deserves his chance to play at the highest possible level for someone who is only 15 and has plenty of potential,” Herbert says.

“We take great pride in having helped his development, and will continue to support him as he establishes himself in senior football.”

As for Brooke-Smith, he’ll take lessons learned at the academy with him as he pursues a career in football.

“When I was a kid in Whangarei, I attended one of the holiday programmes, and Clive Herbert (Ricki’s late father) saw me,” he recalls.

“Clive took me aside and said I should find time to work on my own, after the sessions, to build my individual ball skills. He said it would set me apart, and I should always look for the chance to use those skills.

“I’ve never forgotten that, and if I’m in danger of losing confidence, or need to focus, I remember his advice and it helps me.”