Herrington’s move reportedly cost more than £17 million, making him the most expensive Australian player in history and taking him to England just before his 19th birthday. That leap did not come out of nowhere, but it did come fast.
He started against Paraguay and became the youngest Australian to start a match at a World Cup. Even the shootout pain against Egypt - when he hit the bar from the spot - did not stall the sense that a serious talent had arrived.
Tournament football has a habit of accelerating careers, and Herrington looks like the latest example. Clubs as big as Liverpool and Barcelona were reportedly watching, while praise from Zlatan Ibrahimovic added another layer to the noise around him.
"Ele não costuma elogiar as pessoas, então ouvir isso foi muito especial. A mensagem dele foi para eu me divertir e não ter medo de nada," Herrington said. For a young centre-back, that may be the key detail: aggression without panic, confidence without overplaying.
What stands out just as much is how quickly he appears to have settled. Just over a week after arriving, he featured in Hull City’s 2-0 win over Manchester United on the opening weekend.
That early calm seems tied to the message he keeps returning to off the pitch. "Eles sempre colocaram em minha vida a importância da humildade, de manter os pés no chão e seguir trabalhando," Herrington said of his parents.
That grounding may matter as much as any scouting report. The next story to watch is whether Herrington can turn a dazzling entrance into staying power as Hull City head deeper into the season and the spotlight grows brighter.