Anthony Caceres has had a taste of the CommBank Socceroos and now he wants more with a FIFA World Cup on the horizon. The Macarthur Bulls star speaks to aleagues.com.au about finally realising a childhood dream, why he moved to Campbelltown and overseas interest.
Representing the CommBank Socceroos remains the “greatest achievement” of Anthony Caceres’ career. It is also fuelling his quest to be on that Australian plane at next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Caceres is one of the lsuzu UTE A-League’s premier players but it was not until last November, at the age of 32, that he donned the Green and Gold – at any level – for the first time. The two-time champion had given up hope of realising a childhood dream.
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The decorated 33-year-old midfielder has four international caps to his name, having played a role in the Socceroos’ World Cup qualification.
Caceres has had a taste of international football – something he was “dying for” – and he wants more with the World Cup looming large. It is a big reason why he swapped Sydney FC for Macarthur Bulls at the start of 2025-26.
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“I do think I belong at that level,” Caceres told aleagues.com.au ahead of Saturday night’s showdown against rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. “Obviously familiar with a lot of the players there in the camp I played with and against a lot of the boys. I do believe I have what it takes to mix up with the group.
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“Also think my style of play, it’s something different, a very possession-based player in midfield that can play anywhere in midfield, and I think that can offer solutions to the coaching staff depending on what system they want to play, can provide many options. I definitely believe I can offer something to the team.
“When making my decision to come to Macarthur, one thing that was decisive is the fact that we’re in the ACL two, which provides me with a minimum of six more games to prove myself and show what I can do and get match minutes in, which is very important.
“That’s crucial in a World Cup year. That was a massive plus for me coming here. And the boss has shown he’s willing to pick A-League players given that they’re performing at a certain level.
“He’s done that with numerous players and important ones in the squad. You look at what Aziz (Behich) has brought to the team in the qualifiers. He’s been centre to all the great things we’ve achieved. We’re fortunate enough to have him in our league.
“There’s plenty of talent on show in the A-League, and I’m confident I can produce the required level in this competition.”
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Caceres finds himself at the heart of Macarthur’s midfield alongside “my brother in football” Luke Brattan after ending his trophy-laden spell with Sydney FC.
The Aussie star established himself as a club great thanks to a pair of Championships, a Premiership and an Australia Cup title in 216 appearances for the Sky Blues.
Caceres had interest from abroad, including Asia, before making the decision to remain close to family with Macarthur.
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“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave. But when that decision came, I still wanted to be close to home, surrounded by family, and playing in the A-League, which is a league I love playing,” he explained.
“I did have opportunities to go to Asia and things like that, but we’re at a stage of our life where a lot of factors come into play when making these decisions. I have got a young family that I need to look after. They’re my priority, my two little girls and my wife.
“It’s not a decision that’s solely based on on me. The other factors to consider, a family man, responsible for certain things. And Macarthur gave me the opportunity to remain in the house we’re currently in with family nearby, my daughter is at an age where we’re looking for schools and all that sort of stuff, and life is changing for us.
“I’m getting older, and so responsibilities change, and Macarthur ticked all our boxes.”
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It is not the first time Caceres has attracted overseas interest.
Up until recently, the veteran was targeted by European clubs. It was a “surprise” to the player himself.
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“Absolutely,” Caceres replied when asked if he had opportunities to play in Europe.
“I’ve had a bit of interest from Europe and Asia, of course since we’re in that market. But it was even surprising to me the interest I had had from Europe. At this stage, I thought that’s not really the kind of player they’re looking for.
“But when it comes to the decision making of where I play, it’s not solely about me anymore. Family first and the places that came up weren’t suitable from a lifestyle perspective. Some were from a financial and some weren’t. But when we weigh everything up and you see what what we need in life, and what we need from a football perspective, the A-League has always been the best option for us.
“It’s provided me with a good opportunity to showcase my game. It’s been a blast playing in the A-League with some of my best mates as well. It’s not too often that you get to do that and playing in front of your parents that have been there since you were a young age, and that can still watch you play week in, week out. It’s very lucky that we get to do that.
“These opportunities have come. But ultimately, I’ve always made the decision what I thought is best for my family, first and then for me from a football perspective, and that’s seen me stay in the A-League for all these years.”
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This is a guy, who nine years ago was sensationally signed by Premier League giants Manchester City from Central Coast Mariners before being immediately loaned to sister club Melbourne City with a temporary spell at UAE outfit Al-Wasl in between.
It is a transfer that still seems “crazy” to Caceres.
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“I remember sitting with my old man in the living room, watching (City manager) Pellegrini talk about me, which was a crazy thing. To hear him talking to the media about me was pretty surreal.
“It’s part of the journey now. Taught me a lot of things that made me mature very quickly, obviously, with all the attention both good and bad that it brought. It taught me a lot and made me who I am.”
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Now, he is focused on delivering silverware to two-time Australia Cup champions Bulls, who boast the likes of Caceres and Brattan, as well as South Korean star Ji Dong-won, Damien Da Silva, Rafael Duran Martinez, Sime Grzan and Filip Kurto.
“I think we put together a very good squad, a lot of experience and a good mix of young enthusiasm as well,” said Caceres, with Macarthur also juggling AFC Champions League Two commitments.
“The amount of older players we have, I guess at the current climate of the A-League isn’t too typical of what you see across the league, which I think we can use that to our advantage.
“Given the amount of games we are going to play this year, juggling two competitions, we need that experience, and we can afford to rotate some players, but there’s a lot of talent in the team.
“I think we are yet to hit our potential. I think we still have a lot of work to do, both with and without the ball, to really get the most out of everybody. But once we do, you know, I think we can compete against anyone in this league, and come the end of the season, we potentially could be competing for silverware.
“So there’s enough in the team to give everyone confidence, the fans, the players, and the belief that we can achieve something. It’s just a matter of working at it day in, day out, and yeah, just waiting for it to really click.”
Caceres and the Bulls take on Western Sydney Wanderers at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday, November 1st. Click here to get your tickets!
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