FORMER Fairfield High School student Jimmy Petruzzi is worried about football in Australia unless the “production line” keeps moving.“I feel development has slowed down over here,” said Petruzzi, now a sports performance coach, on a flying visit back home from Manchester, England.

“Obviously, I’m passionate about the game and passionate about where I grew up and I want to see players coming through I don’t want to see the production line stopped.

“I look at the players at the moment, (and) I look at the generation of players looking to retire and I think `who’s coming through after that?’ and the only way to do something about that is to get involved.”

And getting involved he is.

The 37-year-old recently held a clinic, organised by the Australasian Soccer Academy, for about 60 youth aged 11-16 and coaches.

“I’m looking to develop the game on a physical level and a psychological level to help the players have a bit of a pathway,” said Petruzzi, at his former ground Brenan Park, after growing up in Smithfield.

The Going For Gold author, who trained at the Australian Institute of Sport as a 400 metre athlete, played alongside Harry Kewell, Paul Okon and Christian Vieri in his heyday.

A severe back-injury in May, 1999, however, brought a premature end to the former Granville Chile and Parramatta Melita Eagles player’s career.

He’s now in Britain and has worked with teams West Ham, Crystal Palace and the Blackburn Rovers.