Subway Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic has put his faith in TEN Isuzu UTE A-League stars for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China, with three players in line to make their debuts.
No strangers to Socceroos selection, Melbourne City’s Aziz Behich and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Brandon Borrello have been included as have Victory pair Nishan Velupillay and Daniel Arzani.
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Meanwhile there were surprise recalls for Perth Glory striker Adam Taggart in place of veteran forward Mitchell Duke while Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio’s impressive recent form has seen him brought back into the fold following injury.
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However it was the inclusion of three A-Leagues newbies that caught the eye when Popovic’s 26-man squad was revealed on Friday morning.
Recruited by Sydney FC in the mid-season transfer window following the departure of Hayden Matthews to English side Portsmouth and the subsequent injury to centre back Alexandar Popovic, Grant has slotted in seamlessly at the heart of Sydney’s defence despite playing limited minutes.
“I know Alex very well. Obviously, I was with him in Perth and I we both left at the same time. he went for a move to Korea and then to China,” said Popovic when asked at his press conference regarding his decision to hand Grant a shock call-up.
“He’s just a tough defender and I feel there might be a moment in these two games that we need (him).
“Yes, I’d argue that maybe he hasn’t got enough game time, but I believe in the one-off game or a moment that we need to start him or put him on, that he can do the job.”
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Already aware of his maiden call-up for the national team, Grant put in a commanding performance for Sydney FC on Thursday night, scoring the crucial goal which re-established their aggregate lead over K League side Jeonbuk Motors as they booked their spot in their ACL Two semi-finals.
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And while he may not have had much game time over the course of the last four months, Grant has certainly been put through his paces since arriving in the Harbour City.
A gruelling 120-minutes away in hot and humid conditions in Thailand was then followed up by an Isuzu UTE A-League debut against Macarthur before back-to-back games against Jeonbuk have really helped get Grant up to speed.
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Competing with Grant to potentially make his Socceroos debut will be Melbourne City defender Kai Trewin.
Handed a maiden call-up following a impressive season thus far with City, Trewin has showcased his versatility this campaign having been deployed as both a defensive midfielder and centre back by head coach Aurelio Vidmar.
Missing two games through injury, Trewin has otherwise been an ever-present for City having started 18 times across the campaign and helping help his side boast the competition’s joint-best defensive record, conceding just 18 goals.
Potentially playing in-front of Grant and or Trewin could be Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Teague.
An Australian international at youth level, Teague’s impressive performances for Victory this season haven’t gone unnoticed, with several reports suggesting both Malaysia and China were interested in tying him down at international level.
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However Popovic has moved quickest, handing the 23-year-old his first senior call-up for the crucial qualifiers against Indonesia and China, but dismissed suggestions his decision was accelerated due to the threat of rival nations.
“That will never factor into my consideration. If someone chooses to play for another country, that’s their choice, and we will respect that but no one will ever be chosen because they may play for someone else.
“Ryan is chosen based on his ability and based on how he’s played this year. He’s someone that I thought about in October and November, but, you know, I think in the last month or so, he’s really stepped up his game.
“With Ryan, I believe whenever there’s a big game, he really steps up. I think that’s he’s showing a character and personality that we want to see in the Socceroos.”
Currently in his second season at Victory, Teague was signed for the club whilst Popovic was at the helm and played a pivotal role in helping the side reach the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final.
This season his performances have gone from strength-to-strength with the left-footed central midfielder starting all 20 of Victory’s league games to help them sit fourth on the ladder as we head towards the business end of the campaign.
