Dream call-up buoys Thwaite

THE Socceroos call-up of little-known defender Alex Susnjar has shocked many pundits but former Cairns junior Michael Thwaite wants to see him go one step further in a nod to Ange Postecoglou’s legacy.

The 34-year-old Western Sydney Wanderers star said he hoped to see the 192cm centreback go all the way to the World Cup in Russia in a fairytale story to inspire emerging Australian players to chase their dream around the world.

Susnjar’s selection from relative obscurity in the Czech Republic rekindled memories of Thwaite’s own remarkable call-up to the Socceroos squad nine months out from the 2006 World Cup, while playing for National Bucharest in Romania in 2005.

“I’ve been in a similar situation where I was playing in Romania and all of a sudden you get picked in the Socceroos and you make a name for yourself,” he said.

“You don’t always have to play in the biggest leagues in the world, as long as you’re playing competitive football you’re doing well and it goes to show they’ve got a good scouting process these days.

“It’s a great story really, when you haven’t been capped and you get called up going into a World Cup ... and there’s no reason it can’t happen again.”

Adding to Susnjar’s lustre is his talent as a left-sided centre back, creating strong competition between he and South Korea-based Matt Jurman.

Thwaite said the selection of the 22-year-old was a relic of Ange Postecoglou, who opened the door for more youth pathway players to realise their international potential. The jury is out on whether Bert van Marwijk will lean the same way come World Cup squad selection.

“In that older generation, the opportunities were not great for the younger players coming through,” Thwaite said.

“Now it’s a balanced squad with young players coming through and that needs to be the process where there’s a clear pathway from under-20s to under-23s to Socceroos and let’s hope that the new coach after the World Cup – the word is it’s going to be Graham Arnold – can do the same thing as Ange did to develop a system that suits Australian players and our culture.”

He said the 29-man squad had depth and had his fingers crossed Wanderers teammate Josh Risdon could make the 25-man cut for the matches against Norway and Colombia.

“It’s two more games and it’s a big chance to impress the new coach and it’s great that five A-League players have been selected,” Thwaite said.

“I think it’s a balanced squad and I think they should do well in the next two games.”

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