The 2022 FIFA World Cup gave Australian footballers like Garang Kuol and Harry Souttar the perfect platform to become the household names they now are. And after a stellar World Cup campaign from the Socceroos, our upcoming friendlies with Ecuador have the opportunity to do the same for a new generation.
Both Kuol and Souttar have been signed by English Premier League clubs (although the former has since been loaned out to Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian), proving that coach Graham Arnold definitely knows how to pick them.
So who are the next generation of names to look out for in this Socceroos squad for the Welcome Home series? Let’s take a look.
Socceroos’ next generation selections
Nestory Irankunda, 17
You can’t talk about prospective young footballers in Australia without talking about Nestory Irankunda — the 17-year-old Tanzanian-born Adelaide United player who is already getting compared to Premier League superstar Erling Haaland.
Irankunda has been named as a train-on player for the squad, but Arnold has not ruled out naming him in the final squad by the time the second game with Ecuador rolls around.
“He’s coming in for an experience, but that doesn’t rule out game time,” Arnold told reporters.
At just 17 years of age, Irankunda stands to be the youngest Socceroo in history, if he manages to get on. And after scoring three goals in his past three games for Adelaide United (four in total for the season), it’s easy to see why Arnie isn’t ruling out using the young gun.
Adelaide United captain and Socceroos teammate Craig Goodwin has backed Irankunda as a star to watch, stressing his uncapped potential.
“It’s hard to say exactly what heights Nestory will reach but if he can continue to keep doing what he’s doing he has the potential to go to the very top,” Goodwin said.
“I think he’s definitely blessed and gifted with the physical attributes that any other player would kill for at his age.
“To have that power, that speed that he has is a fantastic attribute.”
While he may not have the age and experience of some of the more senior players named in the squad, if the World Cup – and the fact that Garang Kuol very nearly led us to victory against Argentina – has taught us anything, it’s that we should never underestimate the young guns.
If he manages to continue playing as impressively as he has been, it’s likely that he’ll be picked up by a European club in the coming years; Irankunda himself has flagged that his dream is to play for Barcelona one day.
Joe Gauci, 22
Irankunda isn’t the only Adelaide United player getting his Socceroos debut this year, with goalkeeper Joe Gauci also set to get capped in these homecoming games.
The Adelaide United goalkeeper hopes to secure his position in the team in a more long-term capacity after the news that Danny Vukovic is retiring from international football — leaving a Gauci-shaped vacancy in the team.
He was named alongside Mat Ryan and Andrew Redmayne as the third keeper for the national squad after Arnold noted that there is a big hole in the goalkeeping department.
“We do have a big hole in the goalkeeping department. You’ve got older goalkeepers over the age of 30, there’s nothing (much) in the late 20s … and then it’s the young ones,” said Arnold before the squad’s announcement.
“(Socceroos goalkeeping coach) John Crawley is on to that and we’re looking at those goalkeepers, and we’ll give them a chance through this year.”
While Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover was also a top contender for the squad after being named in the Tokyo Olympics team back in 2021, but it appears Gauci is now the favourite.
Gauci said he has “no expectation to go in and play” but is excited to learn and develop as a player alongside the country’s best.
Jordan Bos, 20
20-year-old Melbourne City defender Jordan Bos has big shoes to fill when he steps out in the Socceroos kit for the first time after Arnie likened him to the great Scott Chipperfield.
“I don’t think I’ve seen one like this one since Scott Chipperfield. I hate to put a name on it, but he’s a very, very similar player to Scotty,” Arnie said.
Bos was flattered by the comparison but said he is trying not to let it get to his head.
“Look, that’s it’s amazing when people compare me to such good players and high expectations, but I just try to focus on today and don’t let it get to my head or just keep pushing every day,” he said.
While calls for Bos to be capped have only gone mainstream in recent months after his huge season at Melbourne City, Arnold has been keeping an eye on him for “probably a year-and-a-half”.
“He’s a left full back that can get high, get forward and get some good crosses in the box,” Arnold said.
“He’s physically a good specimen for what we need.”
