The 18-year-old goalkeeper is in Fiji this week for the OFC Champions League and looking to further raise the profile that has been on an upward trajectory since he first donned the gloves five years ago.
In 2012, the same year he made his senior team debut, Iaruel also went on the trip of a lifetime.
From Vanuatu to England, the young keeper headed for a trial with English Premier League outfit Stoke City. The trial saw him impress during a match with the U-18 side in which they downed Brentford 4-1.
Being from the Pacific left the youngster feeling very much like a fish out of water, and while the trial didn’t lead to a contract it left him with a taste for the big time.
“Because I lacked a European passport I couldn’t continue in England, but it has meant I can keep playing and developing in Oceania,” he says.
With players like Solomon Islands Benjamin Totori and Fiji’s Roy Krishna blazing a trail through the region, it won’t be long before the lofty keeper is joining them.
“For me I can play in another country, but to play in another country I first have to prove myself at home and in tournaments like the Champions League.”
After taking up football at school it wasn’t long before Iaruel was drafted into the Vanuatu Academy and he’s slowly but surely made his way through the ranks of the national squads since.
He was crucial to Vanuatu’s campaign at the OFC U-20 Championship, which saw the side finish in third place, and in 2012 he made his senior debut at the OFC Nations Cup in Solomon Islands.
Since graduating from the Academy set-up Iaruel has found himself in a comfortable position with his U-20 coach Moise Poida’s club side Tafea.
As a team they’ve spent the past three years building up for a chance to compete for the ultimate regional club prize. Having earned that coveted OFC Champions League berth following some fine domestic performances, Iaruel and his teammates have their focus fixed firmly on the next challenge.
Grouped with Papua New Guinea champions Hekari United, New Caledonia champions AS Magenta and Fiji champions Ba FC – it’s not going to be an easy run for the young squad.
“It will be difficult for us against these sides because most of our boys, because of our build, are too small,” Iaruel says of what difficulties Tafea expect to encounter.
“But I think we can go to the next stage if we have our mentality right. If our mental is strong to play each team, we can qualify for the semi-finals.”
As for his role as the last line of defence, Iaruel says he has no concerns about encountering the likes of Ba’s Osea Vakatalesau or Magenta’s Bertrand Kai on attack.
“It doesn’t worry me because I played in the Nations Cup in Solomon Islands in 2012 so I’ve seen how those strikers play,” he says.
“For me, I’m always ready to stop any balls from any direction. I’m ready for any shots and any action.”
Tafea open their 2014 OFC Champions League campaign against Hekari United on Monday 7 April at 1pm. All Group C matches will be played at Govind Park in Ba, Fiji.
For more on Vanuatu football go to www.vanuafoot.vu

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