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In-form Middlesbrough winger Sammy Silvera and Scottish-born defender Cameron Burgess are in line for their first senior Socceroos caps after they were called into Australia’s squad for this month’s friendly against Mexico.
Australia manager Graham Arnold unveiled his squad on Friday with Silvera and Ipswich centre back Burgess joined in the senior set-up by Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
Parma defender Alessandro Circati, who was named but didn’t play in June’s friendly against Argentina, is also picked in a youthful Socceroos squad.
“It was an honour that Hibs rang me and offered me the job but I’ve got a job to do here,” he said.
“I will say I love coaching our nation, I feel I’ve got a great job.
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“For me it’s all about Mexico, getting ourselves ready for that and developing and helping our boys in Australia.
“I spoke to their owner and at this moment the timing’s not right. I have a job on my hands here and I have full focus on the Socceroos.”
Arnold would have chosen more emerging talent but injury prevented Portsmouth’s Kusini Yengi and Belgium-based leftback Jordan Bos joining the squad for the September 10 international in Dallas.
The squad contains just two players from the A-League Men.
Silvera, 22, has impressed at club level for Boro since leaving the Central Coast Mariners in the off-season.
“He’s doing very well on the right wing,” Arnold said.
“In the A-League he was hot and cold but he seems to be performing more (consistently) at a good level now.”
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Burgess’s selection is also interesting given Harry Souttar’s struggle for minutes at Leicester and a long-term injury to Gianni Stensness ahead of January’s Asian Cup.
Born in Aberdeen before spending his formative years in WA, Burgess, 27, won youth caps for Australia and Scotland.
“We’ve watched him for about 12 months and I would’ve picked him for the Argentina game but he was injured,” Arnold said.
“It’s fantastic to have another left footed centre back, he’s 198cm, a big boy, very strong and he’s playing at a very good level with Ipswich.”
Arnold has left the likes of Garang Kuol, Adjin Hrustic, Jason Cummings and Awer Mabil out of September’s squad.
The Socceroos boss said Man City midfielder Alex Robertson, who is on loan at Portsmouth, was not selected to allow him to focus on club football.
Mathew Leckie and Aziz Behich are the only two players chosen from the A-League Men.
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Arnold has frequently bemoaned the league’s start date, which comes after the September and October windows, and has meant Brandon Borrello, Jamie Maclaren and Craig Goodwin have been overlooked.
“It hurts and damages the September and October windows,” Arnold said.
“It’s the hardest thing to ring those players and tell them that they haven’t been selected and it’s not their fault. It’s the domestic league and the structure that we have.”
Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (capt), Tom Glover, Ashley Maynard-Brewer*
Defenders: Nathaniel Atkinson, Aziz Behich, Cameron Burgess*, Alessandro Circati*, Milos Degenek, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain
Midfielders: Keanu Baccus, Martin Boyle, Cammy Devlin, Denis Genreau, Jackson Irvine, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Sammy Silvera*
Forwards: Nick D’Agostino, Mitch Duke, Mathew Leckie
