Tom Rogic has been named in a 30 strong Australian squad for the World Cup Finals.
Socceroo boss Ange Postecoglou will start working with the squad tomorrow in Gosford before whittling it down to 23 who fly out to Brazil on June 2.
With 13 midfielders in the 30 man squad Rogic faces tough competition to make the final cut with Postecoglou insisting that he has still to finalise his final squad.
“We’re excited to announce the preliminary 30-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup,” Postecoglou told the Socceroo’s website. “We’ve selected a squad we believe will represent the people of Australia with pride on the biggest stage in world sport.
“The squad has been selected with form and fitness as key indicators as well as having one eye on the future.
“We face a formidable challenge in Brazil but it is also a big opportunity and we head to the World Cup with no barriers as we look to write a new chapter in our rich football history.”
The squad will be cut down to 27 players before facing South Africa on May 26 with the coach explaining why he is selecting his squad in stages.
“We’ve named 30 players for the camp and will leave Australia with 27 before cutting the squad to 23 before the first game but we want all 30 players and the staff to get a meaningful experience out of the camps and World Cup,” Postecoglou added.
“We want the camp to be competitive to make sure the training intensity is as high as possible as players strive to make the final 23 squad but everyone is equally important as we also have one eye on the future.”
Rogic joined Melbourne Victory on loan in January and is one of 10 players from the A-League in the 30 man squad, there is no place for Jackson Irvine who captained Australia in last summer’s u-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan is in the 30 man squad as is Matt McKay despite spending a spell at Ibrox under Ally McCoist.
Australia have been handed the toughest of draws alongside Spain, Holland and Chile.