Graham Arnold has named four uncapped players, including a rising Manchester City star currently training under Pep Guardiola, to fill out his Socceroos squad for their "Welcome Home" friendly series against Ecuador later this month.
Arnold announced the 26-strong roster on Tuesday morning, 20 of whom were part of the team during their best-ever run at the men's World Cup last year.
These will be the first games Australia play following their round of 16 loss to Argentina, with the series against the world number 41 framed as an opportunity "for the players to say thanks to the fans for everything they did at the fan sites, and for the fans to thank the players for what they did at the World Cup".
But injuries to Martin Boyle, Ajdin Hrustic, Jamie Maclaren, and Mat Leckie — as well as the international retirement of veteran goalkeeper Danny Vukovic — has left the door open for a new generation of players to enter the Socceroos' fold, including four current A-League Men stand-outs.
Melbourne City duo Jordan Bos and Aidan O'Neill, Adelaide United goalkeeper Joe Gauci, and Western Sydney Wanderers winger Brandon Borrello have all been named in the squad, alongside Manchester City midfielder Alexander Robertson and FC St Pauli's Connor Metcalfe.
There is a particular buzz around Robertson, who has been part of the senior side at the Premier League giant for the past few years and has represented England at multiple youth-level groups.
The 19-year-old is eligible for multiple countries, including England, Scotland and Peru, but Arnold believes this call-up is the strongest indication yet of where his future allegiances lie.
"He's a talent," Arnold said.
"He's doing very, very well at Manchester City, playing with the under-23s but training every day with the first team.
"He plays more as a number eight — very similar to [Kevin] De Bruyne — that type of role at Man City. He's been on the bench a few times for the first team. When you're playing and training with those types of players every week, he's there for a reason.
"When I called him and told him I wanted to pick him for these Ecuador games, straight away he said, 'I can't wait'.
"It's great that the kid, I do believe, is aligning himself now with Australia. And I'm pretty sure once he puts a Socceroos shirt on and feels the emblem on his heart, that there's only one nation he will play for."
If he takes to the pitch, the Maroubra-born teenager will become the first-ever third-generation Socceroo, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Alex Robertson Sr (1984) and his dad, Mark Robertson (2001).
Bos, O'Neill, and Gauci are the other three uncapped players called into Arnold's squad; a reward for their outstanding seasons so far in the A-League Men, while Borrello and Metcalfe make their return to the squad after finding minutes and form in their respective clubs.
The short turn-around between games will likely see more experimentation from Arnold than usual, particularly in midfield, with veteran Aaron Mooy — who has been a stand-out for Celtic in a more attack-minded position, though was used more conservatively during the World Cup — potentially deployed in a different role thanks to greater squad depth through the middle.
Further, Adelaide United wonder-kid Nestory Irankunda has been called into camp as a train-on player, with Arnold saying the 17-year-old winger could make an appearance in the second game depending on how well he adapts to his first-ever senior camp.
"Seeing the kid play, he's got these special qualities," Arnold said.
"At the age of 17, the physique on him, the speed on him is exciting.
"I've had some great chats with [Adelaide head coach] Carl Vaert, who has been a great mentor and leader to Nestory. At the end of the day, he's coming in for an experience, but that's not ruling him out of game time.
"He's coming in for these games to have that experience of what it's like to play or be at a top level, and I want him to learn quickly, and also to help Adelaide with that. So he sees what it takes from an Aaron Mooy or a Jackson Irvine - what it takes to get to the top.
"I do believe he will end up at that top level. [I] just want to help him on his way."
Hearts quartet Garang Kuol, Cam Devlin, Nathaniel Atkinson, and Kye Rowles have all earned recalls following the World Cup, as have St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus, Central Coast Mariners striker Jason Cummings, Japan-based Thomas Deng and Mitch Duke, and young Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio.
Awer Mabil has also been recalled two months after being named 2023 Young Australian of the Year.
While the two Ecuador games are friendlies on the surface, Arnold is using them as the first step of their preparation for 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in November this year, as well as the Asian Cup that's scheduled to kick off next January.
He is bringing in a new cycle of players who will form the backbone of the Socceroos moving forward.
"It's a blank sheet of paper, and these guys have been given the first chance," Arnold said.
"There's other players out there still with that opportunity. [Olyroos coach] Tony Vidmar is taking a team to Italy in the same window, and there's some very good young kids there as well.
"Belief in the kids is the most important thing, and giving them those opportunities to step up and show what they've got.
"It's important that we keep bringing these kids through."
Socceroos squad for Ecuador series
Name |
Caps |
Club |
|---|---|---|
Nathaniel Atkinson |
6 |
Heart of Midlothian |
Keanu Baccus |
5 |
St Mirren |
Aziz Behich |
57 |
Dundee United |
Brandon Borrello |
4 |
Western Sydney Wanderers |
Jordan Bos |
0 |
Melbourne City |
Jason Cummings |
2 |
Central Coast Mariners |
42 |
Columbus Crew |
|
Thomas Deng |
2 |
Albirex Niigata |
Cameron Devlin |
1 |
Heart of Midlothian |
Mitchell Duke |
25 |
Fagiano Okayama |
Joe Gauci (GK) |
0 |
Adelaide United |
Craig Goodwin |
14 |
Adelaide United |
53 |
FC St. Pauli |
|
Garang Kuol |
3 |
Heart of Midlothian |
Awer Mabil |
31 |
AC Sparta Prague |
Riley McGree |
15 |
Middlesborough |
Connor Metcalfe |
5 |
FC St. Pauli |
Aaron Mooy |
57 |
Celtic |
Aiden O'Neill |
0 |
Melbourne City |
Andrew Redmayne (GK) |
4 |
Sydney FC |
Alexander Robertson |
0 |
Manchester City |
Kye Rowles |
7 |
Heart of Midlothian |
Mathew Ryan (GK) |
79 |
FC Copenhagen |
14 |
Leicester City |
|
Marco Tilio |
5 |
Melbourne City |
Bailey Wright |
28 |
Rotherham United |
