Wilkshire set for starting berth

Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink is set to unveil his latest surprise selection by including Bristol City midfielder Luke Wilkshire in the starting eleven against The Netherlands on Sunday.

Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink is set to unveil his latest surprise selection by including Bristol City midfielder Luke Wilkshire in the starting eleven against The Netherlands on Sunday.

While Hiddink still hasn-t announced his starting eleven and won-t do so until a few hours before the game, all indications based on training is that Wilkshire will start and replace Greece hero Josip Skoko in the run-on side.

While still being cagey about his starting eleven, declaring things can change at the last minute, Hiddink when asked at his final press conference before the match about Wilkshire being in the side, he all but said he was part of the eleven starters.

“I think he-s one of the players who can be tested very well in these games,” he said. “Because I think he-s a modern player.”

“In my opinion (he-s) a little bit too modest and still he doesn-t know completely his abilities, his qualities.”

“I think he can be more aware of that,” he added.

Wilkshire trained with the first team yesterday in Kloetingen, while Skoko and the likes of Kewell and Cahill played against the local amateur side.

In their one and only training session at Feyenoord Rotterdam-s De Kuip Stadium before the match, Wilkshire again featured in the so-called starting eleven and is set to play alongside Vince Grella in a holding midfield role, which will push Jason Culina into his more preferred attacking midfield role.

Wilkshire though was not getting carried away just yet that his inclusion was a foregone conclusion.

“He hasn-t named the team as yet, sow we-ll just have to wait and see tomorrow,” said Wilkshire after training today (Saturday).

Meanwhile Brett Emerton said it felt great to once again walk out onto the pitch at the De Kuip Stadium, where he spent three years as a player, prior to joining Blackburn Rovers.

“It-s good to be back, I had some great times here,” said Emerton.