Three years after becoming the youngest player to appear at a World Cup for Australia, Daniel Arzani is hoping another international tournament can reboot his career.
The Socceroos winger has had a tough time since his selection as a 19-year-old for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Loaned from English giants Manchester City to Celtic, Arzani ruptured his ACL on debut for the Scottish powerhouse in late 2018.
Since that injury Arzani has clocked up just 178 minutes of senior football and spent last season struggling for game time in separate loan spells at Dutch team FC Utrecht and Danish Superliga club AGF Aarhus.
Despite his lack of minutes, Olyroos coach Graham Arnold has named the 22-year-old in his 18-man squad for the upcoming Games in Tokyo - Australia's first appearance in a men's Olympic football tournament since 2008.
"We want to help resurrect his career," Arnold said.
"Sitting down with Daniel, he looks extremely fit, he looks really well.
"Things haven't gone his way over the last couple of years. All those high expectations put on him after Russia in 2018, and some cameos off the bench at Melbourne City, it hasn't gone the way that he wanted to.
"What do we do? Help the kid or burn him out?
"Daniel is a great talent, we want to ... put him on the world stage and move the kid forward."
Arzani's selection could also pay dividends for Arnold beyond the Olympics, as Australia continue on the path to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The skilful youngster proved his fitness during a recent under-23s camp in Spain and was one of three players from that selection named in Arnold's squad along with Caleb Watts and goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
"It shows that camp was extremely worthwhile and good for the kids."
