The Socceroos’ journey to the 2026 World Cup began this month with two wins over Bangladesh and Palestine.
While the outcome was the same in both games – a valuable three points secured in the lengthy qualification journey – the matches themselves were starkly different. It began about as well as Socceroos’ fans could have hoped with a 7-0 thumping on home soil, but was followed by a tense 1-0 win where Australia performed well below their best.
Now the road to 2026 is put on hold for Graham Arnold and his Socceroos as attention turns to a more pressing concern: January’s Asian Cup in Qatar.
It is a rare chance for major silverware for the Socceroos, who have won the competition just once before (in 2015 in Australia).
And on the back of a best-ever World Cup performance in 2022 – also in Qatar – expectations are understandably high for Australia.
But much has changed for the Socceroos in the 12 months since that World Cup began, and Arnold now faces a tricky balancing act between short-term trophy-hunting and the long-term development of his squad with 2026 on the horizon.
With a host of young talents on the rise, there will be plenty of difficult selection decisions to make – but the tournament provides a key opportunity for Arnold’s Socceroos to take a major step forward.
The tournament itself comes at an awkward and inopportune time for Australia. It was scheduled to be held in June of this year, only for China to withdraw from hosting in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Qatar picked up the tournament but, like the World Cup, weather conditions forced a shift from mid-year to the cooler months.
Had it been held in the middle of 2023 as initially planned, Arnold’s approach would probably have been more straightforward: the ageing core of the squad used throughout the previous World Cup cycle could push through for one last title tilt.
After the Asian Cup, Arnold could have focused fully on the next generation and his plans to rebuild with ’26 in mind.
Instead, Arnold has been forced to delay the full-scale overhaul of the roster until after this cup – given the established core of stalwarts provide the best chance of winning the tournament. They are, particularly in the wake of Qatar 2022, battle-hardened and tournament ready.
The next generation are not. Not quite yet, anyway.
But on the road to 2026 and the big dance, the Asian Cup is the single biggest opportunity for the next generation to experience elite tournament football – to gel as a unit and experience the unique pressure of playing repeated games on short turnarounds on the other side of the world.
It is just another factor in the difficult decisions that face Arnold in the months ahead.
The core question is simple: should he prioritise winning the cup or blooding the next generation?
So far, Arnold has unleashed plenty of young guns this year, thanks to a rare bevy of friendlies including tough tests against top opposition like world champions Argentina, England, and Mexico.
Mixing youth with experience has not been such a problem in this environment – the youngsters are allowed to learn the standards from the older generation and develop in that environment, rather than battle against the likes of Lionel Messi without the guidance of those stalwarts who have been there, done that.
But in prioritising the stability (and win-now readiness) of the current team rather than immediately committing to a long-term rebuild has meant that – including in the two recent World Cup qualifiers – some rookies have been kept on the outer rather than handed valuable match minutes.
Think of Jordan Bos playing against Bangladesh before being benched against Palestine in favour of the veteran Aziz Behich.
But balancing youth and experience while rebuilding the team is never an easy proposition – and the mix hasn’t always been right. It’s something that Graham Arnold acknowledged after the clash with Mexico in September where the Socceroos gave up a two-goal lead with some poor errors.
In that match, a series of second-half substitutes tilted the balance too much towards inexperienced youngsters, who struggled under the pressure of a high-octane opponent roared on by partisan Mexican fans.
Arnold recently told the Herald Sun: “It’s crucial you have the blend right – It’s OK to have a lot of young players, but you need senior players and good leaders around them.
“Against Mexico, you look at the players I had on the field in the last 10 minutes when we folded a bit, they were all kids … they didn’t deal with the pressure of 75,000 Mexicans in the stands going crazy.”
Call it a warning on the risks of youth, or call it a valuable learning experience – for both Arnold and the young players involved in that draw.
The last edition of the Asian Cup was also a brutal learning curve for the manager and the team.
In 2019 in the UAE, Australia were the defending champions and the second-highest ranked team in the competition.
But it came just months after Arnold took over the Socceroos job, and he inherited a team very much experiencing a generational change. Tim Cahill and Mile Jedinak had retired after the 2018 World Cup, leaving Arnold with a new-look team where 11 of 23 players had fewer than ten caps entering the tournament. Arnold’s much-changed team laboured from the start.
They squeaked out of the group thanks to a 93rd minute goal to Tom Rogic, before overcoming Uzbekistan on penalties in the Round of 16 following a goalless draw. A difficult tournament came to an end at the quarterfinal stage in a 1-0 defeat to hosts UAE.
This time around, the likes of Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic have retired. Mat Leckie hasn’t featured in the A-League Men’s campaign yet after a September injury, while Riley McGree has been injured since early October and won’t return to club action for some weeks yet. Milos Degenek and Trent Sainsbury have also fallen out of favour as new defenders rise through the ranks.
These are just a handful of the difficult choices that confronting Arnold. Should he opt for experience and solidity, or youthful exuberance and potential, in other words Aziz Behich or Jordy Bos?
In some cases (particularly Connor Metcalfe) the performances from young guns have been so impressive that they simply demand selection.
Souttar surges Socceroos to early lead | 00:43
WHY THINGS ARE EASIER FOR THE YOUNG GUNS NOW
But there is one key reason why backing the youth is not so risky as it was in 2019. Arnold has now managed more (A-International) games than any other Socceroos manager. He has been in charge for five years and has successfully embedded his tactical system not just at the senior international level but also at the Under-23’s or Olyroos, who he took charge of in both qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics and in that tournament proper.
It meant that many youngsters entered the Socceroos set-up already understanding the system and their individual role, making it easier to slot into the squad successfully. Combine that with the difficulty of opponents that the youngsters faced in friendlies this calendar year, and there’s no doubt that the rookies have been forged in fire – and are more capable of stepping up to the difficulties of tournament football.
Perhaps that gives Arnold a better opportunity than ever to roll the dice on youth, even if that comes with the risk of repeating the sort of collapse that occurred against Mexico.
But after all, on the road to 2026 there will be no better teacher in the demands of tournament football on the road than this Asian Cup, where Australia’s path to glory includes likely knockout matches with Saudi Arabia then Japan.
Arnold has enough credit in the bank from the 2022 World Cup – and a long-term contract to boot – that his future is secure even if things go sour at this tournament.
That won’t mean he won’t go for gold. But perhaps that means he can trust the next generation to do the job – and bet all his chips on building for 2026.
Who will make the next Socceroos squad for the match against Mexico on September 10.Source: Getty Images
BELGIUM
The Jupiler Pro League in Belgium recently gained two Aussies, with former Melbourne City duo Jordan Bos and Aiden O’Neill joining KVC Westerlo and Standard Liege respectively.
The pair were some of Melbourne City’s finest performers last season en route to a premiership and grand final appearance and resulted in Socceroos call-ups for both.
Bos’ switch to Westerlo broke the record for the most expensive outgoing from Australia, with the deal reportedly worth $AUD2 million.
Westerlo have wasted no time in throwing the left-back into the deep end as Bos has started three from four games for his new club.
As for O’Neill, he has started all four games for Standard Liege as a defensive midfielder but is yet to taste victory.
With Bos and O’Neill enjoying regular game time so far, it bodes well for the rest of the season as they look to maintain their spots in Graham Arnold’s Socceroos squad.
The other Aussie in Belgium is Jason Davidson, who joined KAS Eupen last season.
Davidson has been a left-back for most of his career but has impressed for Eupen as a centre-back this season and has played every minute of his side’s four games with two wins and a
Jordan Bos battling Angel di Maria of Argentina.Source: Getty Images
ENGLAND
Tom Glover, Riley McGree and Sammy Silvera (Middlesbrough)
There’s three Aussies at Boro this season, with Olyroos gun Samuel Silvera also joining the books just last month. But it hasn’t been a great start to the season, with the team failing to win any of their first three Championship matches. Left-winger Silvera has been having the best run so far, with an assist to pick up a draw last time out, and another assist in a cup win. After starting on the bench in the opening league game, he’s now started three straight games (all comps) and the 22-year-old looks set to have a big impact as he takes a major step up this season after joining from the Central Coast Mariners.
25-year-old Glover, who also moved from down under in July, played the cup game but is currently the number two gloveman at the club behind Senegal international Seny Dieng, who joined one day later. But with Boro struggling defensively, Glover will be hoping to crack into the first team – or else enjoy a good cup run to get minutes under his belt.
McGree meanwhile started the first league game but has since come off the bench in the three other matches – and bagged a goal in the cup. The 24-year-old even had a stint at an unfamiliar left-back position in pre-season. As the team looks to climb up the ladder after their miserable start, he could find a way back into the starting side more regularly.
McGree in action against Argentina in June.Source: Getty Images
Harry Souttar (Leicester City)
There’s been plenty of talk over a possible exit from the club after they were relegated from the Premier League, but it hasn’t happened … yet. Leicester sold Harvey Barnes and James Maddison for big money to balance their books, but they still need to trim a bloated squad (and wage bill!). Harry Souttar hasn’t been given much of a look-in by new manager Enzo Maresca, and an exit appears reasonably likely. He was left on the bench for their first league game and out of the squad completely for the two following games. Maresca said: “Harry’s a guy who since day one has been working very well. But because the window is open, for Harry and for the rest of the 25 players that we have, something can happen.”
Scottish giants Rangers have been linked with a move that would reunite Harry Souttar with his brother John. Without a move, Souttar seems likely to only get limited game-time.
Alexander Robertson (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City)
The 20-year-old central midfielder has settled in very well to life in League One at Portsmouth, playing all five of their matches (all comps) since his loan move this month. He scored in a penalty shootout win after coming on as a substitute in the EFL Trophy (formerly the Papa John’s Trophy, a cup competition), and has started their last two league matches. The young playmaker looks extremely classy and comfortable on the ball and the early signs are promising a breakout campaign in his first full season of senior football. Making it into Manchester City’s senior team still feels a while away, but with Kevin de Bruyne’s serious injury and subsequent surgery ruling him out until the end of the calendar year, another injury or two could see Pep Guardiola recall the Aussie young gun from loan for added depth. It’s not likely, but it’s not out of the realms of possibility – and every week that Robertson continues to impress at Portsmouth helps to build his case.
There’s another Aussie at Portsmouth in 24-year-old Kusini Yengi, a former Olyroos player, with the left-winger starting the season brilliantly by scoring four goals in three appearances before an ankle injury ruled him out until mid-October. When he’s back, keep a close eye on the former A-Leagues star.
There’s also several other Australians in England who are either in or awfully close to the Socceroos squad.
Ipswich Town duo Massimo Luongo and Cam Burgess are no doubt loving life at the minute.
It’s early days in a long and gruelling Championship season, but the Tractor Boys are in first place having won three games from three and conceding just one goal in that time.
Luongo and Burgess have played every minute of Ipswich’s campaign so far and have caught the eye of Arnold who reportedly watched the duo last weekend.
Burgess was set to be included in the Socceroos squad for the Argentina friendlies but was ruled out with injury, yet his form so far has no doubt boosted his chances.
Massimo Luongo is in the Championship for the first time since 2020-21.Source: Getty Images
Elsewhere in League One is Aussie duo Callum Elder and Kenny Dougall who are at Derby County and Blackpool respectively.
Elder came off the bench for slim minutes in the first four of Derby’s league matches and the 28-year-old left back is struggling as he pushes for a first-team spot.
30-year-old central midfielder Dougall has two starts, one in the cup and one in the league, with two more league appearances off the bench.
However, with Arnold taking a view towards the future in his squad selections the chances of Elder and Dougall returning to the Socceroos fold appear limited.
There’s also Tyrese Francois with Premier League side Fulham. Francois, a 23-year-old midfielder, spent part of last season on loan at HNK Gorica in Croatia after making one Premier League appearance off the bench. He suffered an injury late last season and it’s unclear if he’s currently fully fit, having trained with the first-team squad but not travelling with them to the USA in pre-season. He has not been named in a Fulham squad so far this season. A transfer is also a possibility, as is a loan deal, as he needs more match minutes to grow in his career.
FRANCE
Denis Genreau (Toulouse)
Denis Genreau will look to pick up right where he left off after the midfielder enjoyed a strong end to the 2022/23 Ligue One campaign.
The midfielder, who dealt with a series of niggling injuries last season, started Toulouse’s first league game of the season in a 2-1 win over Nantes before coming on as a substitution in a 1-1 draw with PSG.
At 24 years of age, Genreau is only going to get better and if he can nail down a regular spot in Toulouse’s midfield, there’s no reason to assume otherwise.
He made the Socceroos squad for the recent Argentina friendly and will hope to maintain it in the lead-up to the Asian Cup.
In France’s second tier is Mohamed Toure, who linked up with Paris FC on loan from Reims.
The teenager came on as a sub in Paris’ second game of the Ligue Two season against Grenoble but wasn’t in the squad for their other two fixtures due to an unknown injury.
Even if Toure doesn’t get the minutes he hopes for, a loan experience at 19 is invaluable as he looks to prove himself in France.
Toulouse’s Australian midfielder Denis Genreau (L) in a pre-season friendly with Roma this month.Source: AFP
GERMANY
Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe (FC St Pauli)
Many have said it before, but it’s hard to think of a footballer who fits a club’s ethos quite like Jackson Irvine does at FC St Pauli.
The all-action midfielder, who dons the captain’s armband for the club in the German second tier, has started every game for St Pauli this season and will no doubt be a key figure in their push for promotion.
Irvine is joined at the club by fellow Australian Connor Metcalfe, who moved to St Pauli last season.
Although the 23-year-old showed glimpses of his quality, he never quite found a consistent run of form.
But Metcalfe has also started in St Pauli’s three league games so far as a right winger which bodes well for getting opportunities to shine.
St Pauli came awfully close to promotion to the Bundesliga last season and finished fifth, so expectations will be high for Irvine and Metcalfe to deliver if they are to achieve their ultimate goal.
Irvine captaining St Pauli this month.Source: Getty Images
INDIA
Jason Cummings (Mohun Bagan)
Not many score a hat-trick to win an A-League grand final in their last game, but then again, not many footballers are Jason Cummings.
The cult hero left a lasting impression both on and off the field in a two-year stint with the Central Coast Mariners where he scored 31 goals from 50 games and earned a spot in Australia’s World Cup squad.
Cummings has since moved to India for a life-changing salary and has already scored twice for his new club Mohun Bagan in three games.
However, his status with the national team could come into question given the level of football on show in India.
Time will tell whether it proves to be a detrimental factor but if Cummings scores goals in India like he did in Australia, it will be hard to argue he doesn’t deserve a spot in the Socceroos squad.
There’s also Rostyn Griffiths in India, with Mumbai City. The 35-year-old has never been capped for Australia and has missed his chance, but keep an eye out for the Asian Champions League, where he’ll face Saudi mega-team Al-Hilal featuring Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Cummings moved to India after winning the A-League with the Central Coast Mariners.Source: Getty Images
ITALY
Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo)
Cristian Volpato finds himself in new surroundings after moving to Sassuolo from Roma in the summer window for an estimated £6.4 million.
It is hoped a switch to Sassuolo will lead to increased game time for the talented 19-year-old, although both of his first two games for his new club have come from the bench.
Volpato did chalk up an assist in Sassuolo’s 5-2 win over Cosenza in the first round of the Italy Cup.
Prior to the 2023/24 season, Arnold confirmed he would visit Volpato in an attempt to convince him to represent the Socceroos ahead of Italy, but as of now there are no indications who he will play for on the international stage.
Time will tell on Volpato’s international future, but the teen must focus on performing for his new club first before thinking about whether to don the green and gold or the famous blue of Italy.
Alessandro Circati (Parma)
After a lengthy courting process, Arnold finally convinced promising defender Alessandro Circati to pledge his international allegiance to Australia ahead of the Argentina friendly.
The teenager had the benefit of playing in a defensive unit for Serie B side Parma with legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon barking orders behind him.
Although Buffon has since retired, Circati has no doubt taken on plenty of wisdom from the Italian superstar and will look to apply it this year for club and country.
The 19-year-old was part of a defensive unit that kept a clean sheet in Parma’s Serie B opener against Feralpisalo and in their Italy Cup first round clash against fellow promotion hopefuls Bari.
Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona)
Having long been heralded as Australia’s key attacking force from midfield, Ajdin Hrustic has struggled in recent times.
Hrustic moved to Verona from Eintracht Frankfurt in last year’s summer window in search of game time but that never quite materialised.
The 27-year-old also underwent ankle surgery in early January and is yet to return to the field for Verona in Serie B after they were relegated at the end of last season.
There’s still plenty of time for Hrustic to turn things around at club level but if he cannot get on the park in the Italian second division, it will spark serious fears for his hopes of making Australia’s Asian Cup squad.
Hrustic has a lot of work to do.Source: Getty Images
JAPAN
Mitch Duke (Machida Zelvia)
The veteran striker joined Machida Zelvia in January and has had a strong season, with five goals and six assists in 24 appearances in the second division plus a cup goal. He was a regular starter earlier for most of the year but has come off the bench in the last four games for the team currently six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. His team still has 12 matches to play as they chase promotion.
Socceroos star Duke and Lionel Messi shake hands at the World Cup.Source: Getty Images
Mitch Langerak (Nagoya Grampus)
Langerak is having yet another fantastic season for top-flight side Nagoya Grampus. The entrenched starting goalkeeper has played 28 games in all competitions with just 23 goals conceded and 11 clean sheets. He was a shock omission from last year’s World Cup and at 35 years old appears to be on the outer of the national team, but is consistently performing at the top level and could fill in for the Socceroos at any point. Nagoya are third on the ladder, five points off the lead.
Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata)
Deng is also in the top flight with Albirex Niigata, the 14th-placed team. It’s been an up and down season (which began in February) for the 26-year-old central defender. From late May to early June he dropped out of the squad completely, but regained his place for seven-straight starting appearances before a stint off the bench last time out. Overall he’s made 21 appearances in all competitions this year. If he can lock down that place in the starting XI, he’ll continue to press his case for a spot in the Socceroos’ defensive line.
KOREA
Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United)
Delbridge continues to be a mainstay in the backline for Korean side Incheon United, starting 19 of 27 league games this season.
His impressive form last year earned a call-up to the Socceroos for the double-header against New Zealand where he made his international debut.
However, Delbridge likely faces an uphill battle to break back into the team with the likes of Souttar, Kye Rowles and Circati ahead of him in the pecking order.
Delbridge for the Socceroos in September last year.Source: Getty Images
NETHERLANDS
Garang Kuol (Volendam, on loan from Newcastle)
18-year-old Kuol had a difficult first season in Europe, making just nine appearances for Hearts in Scotland on loan from Premier League side Newcastle – and almost all of them coming off the bench. Now he’s been sent to Volendam, a renowned nursery for young players, to get more minutes and continue his development. He got 24 minutes in their first league match of the season but was left out of the squad for the second match. Coach Matthias Kohler said: “We have to be patient with him. That is simply the case with a young player who comes from a foreign competition.”
Despite his limited minutes at club-land, he picked up his first Socceroos goal against Ecuador in March.
This will be a big season for Kuol’s growth, and getting as many minutes as possible is crucial.
Kuol celebrates his first goal for the Socceroos in March.Source: Getty Images
Mat Ryan (AZ Alkmaar)
The 31-year-old gloveman is the settled number one at AZ Alkmaar, having joined the Dutch club in January. The Socceroos skipper has had a great start to the season, with two clean sheets in his first five matches – four wins and a draw. Their two league wins and a +6 goal difference has them top of the Eredivisie league ladder, having finished a strong fourth last season.
On Friday morning, his side continued their bid to reach the third-tier European continental competition – the Europa Conference League – with a 1-1 draw in the first leg against Brann of Norway. Ryan made five saves in another strong showing.
NORWAY
Gianni Stensness (Viking FC)
The 24-year-old centre-back/defensive midfielder had been in fine form in recent months, earning himself a first Socceroos call-up in 12 months against Argentina in June. But things came crashing down when he tore his ACL in training later that month. He’ll be out until the end of the year.
But young Aussie teammate Patrick Yazbek, 21, is having a sensational season, bagging one goal and five assists in 18 appearances (all comps). The centre-midfielder looks to be a key figure in the Olyroos team aiming to reach the Paris Olympics.
Rounding out the Australian trio at Viking is Nick D’Agostino, although the striker has largely been consigned to an impact role off the bench.
The Heart of Midlothian contingent again features FOUR Aussies this season, although Garang Kuol has been replaced this year by another young gun Calem Nieuwenhof.
The team is third in the league after two rounds, with a win and a draw, and are also competing in the Europa Conference League play-offs, where they suffered a 2-1 first-leg loss to Greek league leaders PAOK on Friday morning.
Right-back Nathaniel Atkinson has started five games so far including that defeat, after a very strong finish to last season after a rollercoaster year saw him bounce in an out of the side but mostly feature off the bench. Early signs are very promising for the 24-year-old as he looks to take a step up in his career.
25-year-old Kye Rowles has played every minute of their six games in centre-back and is a lock to start. He’ll be hoping to avoid another injury like the metatarsal fracture he suffered in September last year that threatened his World Cup hopes. Luckily he returned in time to star in Qatar and quickly nail down his place in the Hearts’ starting side after that – and this season promises another strong campaign.
Cameron Devlin has enjoyed a bright start to the season.Source: Getty Images
Cammy Devlin bagged a brace in the Europa Conference League play-offs a week ago and has started five matches already, coming off the back of a breakout 41-game season last time around. With Aaron Mooy’s retirement, he’ll back himself to step up and fill the gap in the midfield – and his early form certainly boosts his case.
Calem Nieuwenhof, 22, made the move to Scotland on the back of a truly outstanding individual campaign for the Western Sydney Wanderers. The versatile midfielder is on a four-year contract and has plenty of time to grow, but appears to have settled well after a transfer he called an ‘easy decision’. He started their first league game in an attacking midfield role and a cup game in a defensive midfield position, and his ability to play in different roles is a key reason he should feature plenty off the bench, if not force his way into the starting team.
Devlin celebrating his brace.Source: Getty Images
Marco Tilio (Celtic)
Tilio broke the record for an outbound transfer from Australian shores at the start of July when he left Melbourne City for the Scottish giants for a fee over $2 million Australian. The youngster who turned 22 this month is however still recovering from an unknown injury that he suffered on Olyroos duty in June, with Celtic coach Brendan Rogers revealing last month that Tilio would miss the first few weeks of the season.
It will take him some time to get up to speed with the intensity of Scottish football and life at the champions. With the likes of Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda on the wings at the club, he’ll find it hard to break into the first team as a regular starter, but he’s got plenty of promise and will look to show what he can do off the bench at first.
Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain (St Mirren)
Last season was Keanu Baccus’ first in Scotland after joining St Mirren from Western Sydney Wanderers, and he racked up 36 appearances. That led to St Mirren agreeing a reported £275,000 sale to Bolton in England’s League One (third tier). But the deal fell through – reportedly due to difficulties obtaining a work permit – and reported interest from Scottish rivals Hibernian never eventuated.
The 25-year-old has played every minute of the club’s two league games already – both wins – and has also picked up one assist in three League Cup matches.
His physicality and hard work continues to impress in the rough-and-tumble Scottish Premiership, and he’ll hope to guide St Mirren to better than last year’s sixth placed this time around, especially after they struggled at the dying stages of last season.
With just one year left on his contract, St Mirren will definitely be looking to lock him down on a fresh deal so they can cash in when bigger clubs (almost inevitably) come calling.
And Baccus continues to go from strength to strength for the Socceroos, playing the full game against Argentina in June. With Aaron Mooy’s retirement, coach Graham Arnold could turn to another Scotland-based player in Baccus to step up at the base of the midfield.
Baccus battling Argentina in June’s friendly.Source: Getty Images
Like his club teammate Baccus, Ryan Strain had a standout season in his maiden campaign in Scotland. The right back is receiving interest this transfer window, and a deal could easily still happen before the window closes.
But manager Stephen Robinson said last month that the club had ‘no bids or offers’ for the player, claiming that meant other clubs were “not realising how good a player” he is.
“Long may it continue,” the St Mirren boss told BBC Scotland.
“We don’t want to let him go. We don’t need to sell, we’re not in the [financial] position we were in last year.
“Ryan’s done terrifically well. He’s a very, very good footballer if he doesn’t complicate the game.”
He’s started five cup games and bagged four assists already, and also started both league games in a sensational start to the season.
Scottish journalists are raving about the 26-year-old, with many declaring him the best right wing-back in the league outside of the ‘big two’ of Celtic and Rangers.
He only debuted for Australia last September and missed the World Cup, but the 26-year-old is arguably the most in-form Socceroo in the world right now.
Like Baccus, he also is in the final year of his contract, and St Mirren will make handing him a new deal a priority so as not to lose him for free at season’s end.
It looks like an all-Scottish league battle for Australia’s right back spot between Strain and Atkinson.Source: Getty Images
Martin Boyle, Jimmy Jeggo, Lewis Miller (Hibernian)
Martin Boyle is back! Earlier this month, the 30-year-old winger scored a brace in his first competitive fixture since October 2022, when he underwent surgery on an historical ACL injury. He had said days before that the team’s physios must “hate him,” given how hard he was pushing to return ahead of schedule. All up, he’s now had seven starts for three goals. He’s still not fully fit, but signs are promising that he’ll return to his best.
Jimmy Jeggo has been battling for a spot in the first team at Hibs, making two starts and five bench appearances so far this season. He joined the club in late January and played 17 times in all competitions last season, starting every single one of those games. But Hibernian signed 22-year-old Wales international Dylan Levitt in July, a former Manchester United academy player, and the pair look set to battle for starting duties in the coming weeks.
It’s also worth keeping an eye out for Lewis Miller, the 22-year-old right back who hasn’t yet played for the Socceroos but has featured for the Under-23 Olyroos. Miller is in his second season with Hibernian, but looks set for far more game time this campaign.
However, he’ll have to improve his game after a torrid showing in Hibs’ 5-0 loss to Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff clash at Easter Road, where three of the goals came from Miller’s flank.
SERBIA
Milos Degenek (Red Star Belgrade)
Degenek is back for a third stint at his boyhood club, having spent 18 months in the US. With three starts, three wins, and three clean sheets – and the team not conceding after he came off the bench in the other league match – it’s been a perfect opening to the new campaign. The 29-year-old has fit right back in, and looks like he’s cemented himself as one of the first-choice options at the heart of defence. He’ll also get the chance to play in the Champions League once again.
Interestingly, six-time reigning champions Red Star are playing a three-man backline this campaign, which could give Arnold room to change up his Socceroos defensive structure.
Degenek is in good form at the start of the new season.Source: Getty Images
SINGAPORE
Bailey Wright (Lion City Sailors)
In a move that caught many by surprise, Bailey Wright left Sunderland a year early to join Singapore Premier League side Lion City Sailors.
The switch to Singapore brings and end to Wright’s time in England where he had played since 2010.
Wright confirmed he had received offers from clubs in England and even from the A-League, but turned it down in pursuit of a new challenge in Singapore.
Having made the Socceroos’ World Cup squad, the decision to move to Singapore is a curious one.
But the 30-year-old has earned the opportunity to pursue a switch for financial reasons and could still venture down to the A-League at some stage in the future.
SWITZERLAND
Awer Mabil (Grasshopper Club Zurich)
The pacy winger will play in a seventh European country this season after signing a deal at Swiss side Grasshoppers.
The team is the most successful in Swiss history, but haven’t won the league in two decades and have struggled in recent years – finishing eighth and seventh in the last two seasons after returning to the top flight after a couple of years in the second division.
They’ve started the new campaign poorly with just one win and one draw from their first four games, meaning Mabil has a great opportunity to cement a spot in the line-up.
It is a much-needed move for the Aussie with 32 international caps and nine goals to his name. Having struggled for game time at Cadiz in Spain’s La Liga (six appearances), he moved to Czechia for the latter half of last season with Sparta Prague, but 15 of his 16 appearances came off the bench. He scored twice (both penalties) and added three assists.
Ahead of his 28th birthday next month, he’ll hope for regular minutes to return to top form. The deal is for two years with an option for a third.
QATAR
Trent Sainsbury (Al Wakrah)
Having been left out of the Socceroos squad for the World Cup, many felt it was the end of the road in the national team for 31-year-old Trent Sainsbury.
Whether he can force his way back into contention remains to be seen, but starting for Qatari side Al Wakrah will give him the best chance possible for that.
Sainsbury started and kept a clean sheet in his side’s Qatar Stars League opener against Muaither SC as Al Wakrah ran out 3-0 winners.
But no matter how often he plays in Qatar, Sainsbury has plenty of bodies in front of him if he is to return to the heart of the Socceroos backline.
Sainsbury’s last Socceroos match in September 2022.Source: Getty Images
WHO ELSE?
Left-back Brad Smith is in the USA for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo, where he’s scored two goals in 15 appearances (all comps). But he’s struggling to lock in a spot in the first team and a recall to the Socceroos looks unlikely.
Meanwhile, Tom Rogic is without a club after leaving West Brom in May after a difficult season. He turned down an optional one-season extension on his contract and has not yet found a new club. It mirrors what happened 12 months ago, when he left Celtic but didn’t find a new club – West Brom – until September. This time around, the 30-year-old might look for an easier challenge, including a possible return down under.
