Daniel Arzani is out of the football wilderness, back enjoying himself and eyeing a once-unlikely bolt into the Socceroos’ World Cup plans.
Back in 2018, the then-teen sensation enjoyed a meteoric rise to Australia’s squad for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Russia, was signed by Premier League powerhouse Manchester City and appeared set for global stardom.
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Instead, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his first appearance on loan at Celtic in 2018 and when he returned to fitness he drifted through unsuccessful stints in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium.
Back in the A-League Men with Macarthur FC, the now 23-year-old is ready to make a statement in the six games before the Socceroos squad is named on November 14.
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Macarthur kick-off their season against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on October 8, not before facing Sydney United in Saturday’s Australia Cup final.
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“I feel the best physically and mentally that I have for a long time,” Arzani told AAP.
“It’s an incredible feeling going into the season with nothing but excitement.
“I had a lot of problems with my tendon and some other things that went on in between and after (my ACL).
“It’s really tough mentally but it’s just a part of football isn’t it? There’s a lot of highs, there’s a lot of lows.
“I had an incredible run leading into the 2018 World Cup and I’m hoping that with a good start to the season here, I can kind of repeat what I did with the last one, going into this one.”
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Arzani was in the Olyroos squad that played at Tokyo 2021 under Graham Arnold and knows what he has to do to feature in the Socceroos boss’ plans.
“He doesn’t really have to say anything. It’s clear, I’ve just got to really hit the ground running and play really well,” Arzani said.
Giving Arzani more reason to believe is the promising start he has enjoyed under new Macarthur head coach and Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke.
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“The biggest thing is that he’s very good at getting the best out of people and he’s really given me a lot of freedom and a lot of confidence to do what I’m best at,” Arzani said.
“The coach puts a big emphasis on enjoying your football.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to get that feeling from when you were just a little kid playing at the park.”
Above all, Arzani believes he is a more mature person and footballer than the kid who broke through with Melbourne City four years ago.
“I’m a lot better in a lot of aspects,” he said. “I have a lot better end product in my game than I did back then.
“I can’t wait to get started and show what I can do.”
