Archie Thompson is hoping to break his goal drought against Saudi Arabia and has backed returning Socceroo Mark Bresciano for a recall in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
Archie Thompson is hoping to break his goal drought against Saudi Arabia and has backed returning Socceroo Mark Bresciano for a recall in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
After asking to be ignored for Socceroos selection following the 2010 World Cup, a rejuvenated Bresciano is back in Holger Osieck's new-look 19-man squad following his stellar form at club level with Al Nasr in the United Arab Emirates Pro-League.
And with Australia six points clear at the top of Group D and already assured of qualification to the next phase, the clash at AAMI Park presents a great opportunity for the returning Bresciano as well as the next generation of Socceroos.
"He's been a great player for the Socceroos for a long time," Thompson said of Bresciano.
"We haven't seen him in a Socceroos jersey for a long time I'm sure he's eager to get back out there.
"We all know as players as well as the fans what he can do so I'm actually looking forward to seeing him, I haven't seen him in a while."
Thompson is without a goal in seven matches in the A-League and said he would dearly love the opportunity to break that drought against Saudi Arabia.
"This has been a bit of a dry spell for me but the positive thing I can take out of it is I'm still getting myself into the right positions," he said.
"You ask any striker, you go through one of these spells, you get one and the floodgates open."
"I'd love to be out on the pitch on Wednesday and to break my goal drought in a Socceroos jersey would be great."
Osieck threw a few surprises into the selection mix with first call-ups for local players Michael Marrone (Melbourne Heart), Brisbane's Eric Paartalu and Central Coast keeper Matt Ryan while Thompson, Harry Kewell (Victory), Brett Emerton (Sydney FC), Mark Milligan (Victory) and Michael Thwaite (Gold Coast) complete a well represented A-League contingent.
"There's players that haven't been part of the Socceroos that want to be part of future games and this is a good chance to show what their worth is," Thompson admitted.
"Saudi is going to up for it so it's going to be a very entertaining game."
Another player lured out of the wilderness following a season hampered by a shoulder injury is former Blackpool and FC Twente left-back David Carney.
Now plying his trade with Uzbeki giants Bunyodkor, Carney is fully fit again having not played for the Socceroos since last March, when they beat Germany 2-1 in a friendly.
"My last game was against Germany so I left it on a good note, we beat them," Carney said.
That was until his shoulder curtailed playing time and later scuppered a move to England.
"It was affecting me a lot it was constantly coming out, every time I was slide tackling it was in the back of my mind 'is it going to come out?' it was really loose."
"I've had my injury, I was carrying that all (last) year so that's all fixed."
Nottingham Forrest tried to sign the 28-year-old but his rehabilitation was likely to sideline him for a further two months which ended hopes of a return to England.
Now content at four-time reigning champions Bunyodkor, Carney now wants to regain his place in the Socceroos set-up.
"It's a really big club to be honest I didn't know a lot about it but from what I've heard and people telling me it's the biggest club in Uzbekistan and the club's is very ambitious they've won the league the last four times and Rivaldo's played for them," Carney said.
"(Wednesday's) going to be no easy game, Saudi Arabia need the win, I'm just looking forward to it's nice to be back in the camp with the boys and to be able to speak English to them."