Tony Popovic said he did all he could to convince Adrian Segečić to play for the Socceroos and repeated the maxim that he won’t be “selling the shirt”, after naming a 26-player squad for upcoming friendlies, including one player who has never been to Australia.
Hibernian striker Ante Šuto, who was born and raised in Croatia, joins two other uncapped players for this month’s matches against Cameroon and Curaçao – young defender Lucas Herrington, who plays with Colorado Rapids, and forward Deni Jurić, who departed Socceroos camp last November due to injury.
Absent, however, is Segečić, last season’s A-League Men golden boot winner who now plays for Portsmouth in England’s Championship. Popovic said he respects the 21-year-old’s decision to choose Croatia, and the coach maintains he will not make promises to young players to convince them to commit to the Socceroos.
“If you’re getting called up for Australia through the junior levels, then you get called up by the Socceroos, shouldn’t that be enough that you’re wanted? Should I promise a player at 20 or 21 that he has to play?,” he said.
“We’ve got young players in this squad now. Do I promise them that they’re going to play, and if they don’t, I have to fear that he will leave? It’s probably better for Adrian that he’s gone because I now haven’t restricted him from going maybe where he really wants to be.”
The head coach said he wouldn’t rule out welcoming Segečić back if things don’t go well with Croatia, but for now he hopes he does well for his adopted country. “I think we’ve done very well by the player, and the player’s decided to play for Croatia and we wish them all the best.”
The coming international window serves as one of the final opportunities for World Cup aspirants to prove their worth to Popovic.
Missing is injured striker Mo Toure, who has impressed for Norwich in England’s Championship this season. His absence presents a chance up front for Juric and Šuto, the 25-year-old who has scored three goals for Hibernian in Scotland this year.
Šuto has never been to Australia and qualifies through his father. “It’s a nice surrounding to come for your first time,” Popovic said, speaking on Thursday in front of the Sydney Opera House. “But it’ll be something very new for him, but I’m sure very exciting as well.”
The Socceroos meet Cameroon in Sydney on Friday 27 March, before welcoming Curaçao in Melbourne the following Tuesday.
The arrival of Curaçao to Australia offers a compelling World Cup narrative after their historic World Cup qualification. They will be the smallest nation to compete in the World Cup finals.
Ahead of the team’s first World Cup match in June, a wider squad goes into camp in California from which Popovic will select his final 26. The Socceroos will play Mexico and another team still to be determined in their final hit-outs before the tournament.
“If you look at the squad there are places up for grabs because, you can tell by the new faces that are here, we’re always leaving the door open for any player,” Popovic said.
Australia’s first match is on 13 June against a Uefa playoff winner which will be determined later this month. The Socceroos meet the USA in Seattle on 19 June, before their final group match against Paraguay on 25 June in Santa Clara, near San Francisco.
Socceroos squad
Patrick Beach, Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Ajdin Hrustic, Nestory Irankunda, Jacob Italiano, Paul Izzo, Deni Juric, Fran Karacic, Awer Mabil, Connor Metcalfe, Riley McGree, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Alex Robertson, Mat Ryan, Ante Suto, Kai Trewin, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek.
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