Emerging Socceroo Paul Okon Jnr believes a duel with the legendary Juan Mata will hold him in good stead for his bright future as World Cup selection looms large.
Okon Jnr, 21, has enjoyed a sensational rise with the Socceroos - where father Paul is an assistant to Tony Popovic - and has been crucial to Sydney FC's run to the A-League Men semi-finals.
The four-cap Socceroo was in the thick of the action in his first ever final, Saturday night's 1-0 knockout win over Melbourne Victory, including copping a high boot from Mata, who he relished going toe-to-toe with.
"Obviously, playing against the player of that calibre, you can see a lot of experience," Okon Jnr said.
"He's such a great player, and having the opportunity to play against him in such a game, in such an occasion, is just an experience I think I'll take on for the rest of my footballing career."
The humble Okon Jnr wouldn't buy into how his performances would help him push for selection.
"Obviously it's something that that every footballer wants to, want to achieve going to World Cup. But I'm not really focused on that at the moment," he said.
"I'm just focused on performing as well as possible for for Sydney, and trying to get into that grand final."
If Okon Jnr doesn't want to pump up his own hopes, teammate Ben Garuccio will.
"For me, since he's come back from his injury, he's been quality - probably since that last Socceroos camp (and) the couple of games before that. And then since he's come back, he's been first class," Garuccio said.
"He's a great ball-playing midfielder, he's only going to get better, but I think he's adding that other side of the game, which is that grunt without the ball.
"Look, I think very, very highly of him."
Garuccio also hopes goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares, who was man of the match against the Victory, can get a look-in after he was a train-on last window.
"I think he has been the best keeper in the league by some stretch," Garuccio said.
Eliminated Victory will hope attacker Nishan Velupillay, a regular under Popovic, has done enough to be selected.
"Yes even though this year had some injuries, some some ups and downs during the season," skipper Roderick Miranda said.
"But I think if you go back this year before, and even the year before, he did a really good lead up to the to the World Cup, and Tony knows him really well from from his time here in Victory, and knows what he can give and can the spark that he can give in the game."
