Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has acted on his commitment to building the future of Australian football by calling up Manchester City starlet Alexander Robertson.
The Australian boss stepped forward to ensure the future of the 19-year-old was with his squad by naming him in the squad for the fixtures against Ecuador.
Robertson has been a shining light in City’s under-23 squad and has certainly impressed Pep Guardiola.
He was named on the bench for the Manchester side’s Champions League tie against RB Leipzig.
The young player has been a hot commodity at international level with his selection noteworthy as he was eligible for Scotland, Peru, and England.
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Scottish-born, but growing up in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, he was picked up by Manchester United when he was just 11 years old.
He’s represented both England and Australia at youth level - but now it looks as if he’s committed himself to the Socceroos.
Arnold said of his call-up: “I’ve probably been talking to him for over 18 months and it was a matter of one step at a time.
“This time when I called him and told him I wanted to pick him for these Ecuador games, straight away it was, ‘Arnie, I can’t wait.’ He was looking forward to it so much.
“His agent Paddy Dominguez has been fantastic with the communication through that by keeping me informed of where the kid’s at and his dad Mark.
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“It’s great that the kid, I do believe, is aligning himself with Australia. I’m pretty sure once he puts that Socceroos shirt on and feels the emblem on his heart, there’s only one nation he will play for.”
Robertson’s dad Mark and grandfather Alex also represented Australia, meaning he would become a third-generation representative for the country if he were to play against the South American side.
Alex spoke of his delight to be called up by the Socceroos.
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He said: “Australia is my home. That’s where I’ve got all my memories as a kid and for football.
“To be able to play for the Socceroos will be something special. Putting on the green and gold will mean a lot to me and my family.”
Graham Arnold committed to the youth with his selections, also picking 17-year-old Nestory Irankunda as a train-on player, although not officially in the squad.
The two fixtures take place on March 24 and March 28.
Topics: Australia, Manchester City, Football
Jayden Collins