From the Phoenix to the World Cup
Cam Devlin broke down in tears when he found out he had been selected in Australia’s squad for the World Cup.
The defensive midfielder’s selection came just three years after he followed Ufuk Talay from Sydney FC to Wellington Phoenix in the search of greater game time.
When Socceroos coach Graham Arnold called Devlin to give him the good news that he had made the 26-man squad for the World Cup, not long after making his debut against the All Whites, Devlin was overcome with emotion.
‘‘Arnie gave me a text saying ‘can I give you a call in 15 minutes’? I think I replied within five seconds and that 15 minutes felt like it went on for days but when he told me it was probably the best feeling I’ve had in my whole life,’’ Devlin said ahead of the tournament.
‘‘The emotions came running out, but fair enough when you get called up for a World Cup. It’s a dream I’ve had since I started playing.
‘‘Obviously I had to go to Wellington to get more minutes in the A-League and my thought was that I always wanted to make a name for myself or have a couple of seasons under my belt in the A-League before I went on to other things, such as I’m lucky enough to be at [Scottish club] Hearts now.
‘‘To be over there now living my dream overseas playing football every weekend and looking back, obviously it was a difficult one, but going to Wellington, being at Sydney FC, it was all worth it.’’
After making just seven substitute appearances for Sydney during their titlewinning campaign in 2018-19, Devlin went on to play 44 games across his two seasons at the Phoenix.
As New Zealand’s only professional club, the Phoenix have a responsibility to develop future All Whites. However, as an A-League club, Talay said that there will always be opportunities for talented Australians who aspire to become future Socceroos like Devlin. ‘‘That’s part of the job, helping players achieve their dreams and their aspirations. It’s nice to see a player like Cammy at a World Cup.’’