FourFourTwo Exclusive : Daniel Cappellaro – aka D10, Australia’s premier street footballer – says he’s the envy of his mates now that he’s featured in EA Sports’ new title FIFA Street.

The 26-year-old Perth-based footballer is the only Australian amongst some of the world’s biggest names including Lionel Messi and Manchester United to appear in the new EA Sports’ FIFA Street.

“It’s very cool I’m in this video game,” he told au.foufourtwo.com.

Cappellaro said he created the ‘D10’ character as homage to the traditional number 10 with the D representing his first name.

But he had to hide the fact that he’d been chosen by EA Sports for almost five months. It nearly killed him – especially when mates kept asking him about the upcoming release.

“I started Street football and Futsal and other mediums of the game to try and launch myself onto a different medium,” said Cappellaro, who also plays for Western Knights in the local WA state league.

Cappellaro spent the weekend in Melbourne at the FIFA Street Australian Freestyle Football Championships.

There he gave a master-class in street football skills including the Flip Flap, Hocus Pocus, Jinga Beat and Heel Chop and he also judged in various categories.

“Insane” Kane Edwards took home the FIFA Street Australian Freestyle Football Titles defeating ‘C-mooth’ Curtis Maher in the finale.

The Australian title was the fledgling sport’s first world ranking points event with Edwards on his way to earning enough points to win a place on the 2013 World Freestyle Series, the sport’s professional world circuit.

“It was fantastic to watch some of the talent out there. Curtis, Chris Beavon and also ‘Insane’ Kane. They were all fantastic,” said Cappellaro.

“And there was also a female and she was fantastic. Susan’s skills were awesome.”

As part of the new title’s promotion, Cappellaro has met high profile sports stars and appeared on TV shows such as Sunrise.

“I’ve been putting all these pictures on my Facebook page,” he said.

“But I’m also copping a lot of stick from my mates who are questioning how I look in the game compared to how I look in real life!”

However, the game itself is the real deal promised Cappellaro.

“When you’re playing FIFA you’re experiencing something similar every time. The game’s durability and playability just extends and extends,” he said.

Cappellaro combines studies with his WA State League commitments. He also runs community skills programs in conjunction with Perth Glory and plays in a WA futsal team.

It’s a busy schedule but D10 feels he made his own luck with EA Sports.

He added: “It’s been a struggle but this is something that came up out of the blue. I suppose it was right place; right time for me.”

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