The 14-year-old from Tenambit will be out in the middle of Hunter Stadium alongside the likes of Socceroos stars Tim Cahill and Mile Jedinak before Australia’s match against the United Arab Emirates.

O’Connor has the responsibility of flying the AFC Asian Cup flag in the lead up to kick off and the year nine student at All Saints College, St Peter’s Campus, Maitland, said he was looking forward to the occasion.

“It’s really exciting,” O’Connor said.

“It will be good to have this experience – the chance to see all of the players up close, the 

grandstand is sold out and to have it all close to home.”

O’Connor will be one of 20-plus Northern NSW junior ­footballers with jobs, ranging from flag bearing to ball boys.

O’Connor has already had a bit of practice with duties starting on January 17 for the preliminary match between Oman and Kuwait at Hunter Stadium.

But the group will iron out any issues for the top-four clash this afternoon when they arrive for a trial with the big flag four hours before the fixture.

“We are practicing to make sure we get it perfect,” O’Connor said.

“They want to make sure it is straight and pulled out nice and tight.”

On the field and O’Connor will soon turn his attention to his own football commitments with the Emerging Jets under 15s, which will play in the NNSW National Premier League under-17 competition starting in March.

Also in 2015 he aims to make the Northern NSW squad for the institute challenge held at the AIS later this year.

This follows an impressive summer campaign playing futsal with O’Connor named in the under-14 Australian all stars team after helping NSW City North to runners-up at the recent national championships in Sydney.

He has also been invited to tour Greece with a national under 14s squad later this year, which comes after travelling to Spain with a similar group at the end of 2013. 

And next month O’Connor will hit the track for the Little Athletics regional championships at Glendale for the 800m, 1500m and 3km events in his age group.