Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson was as surprised as anyone that he received a call-up from Socceroos coach Holger Osieck to be part of the 23-man squad for the friendlies against Serbia and New Zealand in June.
Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson was as surprised as anyone that he received a call-up from Socceroos coach Holger Osieck to be part of the 23-man squad for the friendlies against Serbia and New Zealand in June.
At 32 and having not played for the Socceroos in over two years, Thompson thought his chance at the international level may have passed him by when he ruptured his ACL in the 2010 Hyundai A-League Grand Final, an injury which ruled him out of a tilt at Australia’s 2010 World Cup squad.
But 14 months after that fateful night at Etihad Stadium, Thompson is back under Socceroos consideration and with World Cup qualifiers looming, he feels it is his last chance to prove he is still up to performing at that level.
“These opportunities for me don’t really come around much due mainly to my age. Age is only a number really, I’m feeling good and he wouldn’t have picked me if he didn’t feel I could offer something,” he said.
“It was a little bit unexpected. You don’t get many opportunities like this. I’m excited. I haven’t been part of the Socceroos for a long time.”
The excitement of a Socceroos call-up hasn’t dulled for Thompson, who has represented his country on 31 occasions. He found out about his recall on the weekend and has been busting to tell everyone about it.
“I found out a couple of days ago. I’ve been stewing on it and wanting to tell people. I’ve been training pretty hard the last few days trying to get some fitness up going into a camp,” he said.
Thompson, one of only two contracted A-League players in the squad, feels that he is ready to give it his best shot, having had the just completed AFC Champions League campaign to find his form and fitness.
“I started getting fitter (during the AFC Champions League), I started getting a bit more match time. Obviously I would have liked a few more goals. Hopefully coming into camp, those things will change,” he said.
“I don’t think I have had a break since Grand Final day last year, due to the fact that I had my knee reco and I couldn’t take time off because I needed to be on top of it.”
“It’s been a long process. It’s paid off in the end, I’m back in another camp and obviously, he’s a new coach and I want to go in and impress and show him what my worth is and see what happens from here.”
All going well, Thompson could get his chance to play last one time with the young striker he has mentored Robbie Kruse in front of the passionate Melbourne crowd against Serbia at Etihad Stadium on June 7.
“Melbourne has done wonders for Robbie but in saying that, he’s done it himself. They’ve given him the opportunity but you have to take them and he has. For myself, friends and family and in my home city, I’d love to be out there and playing for the Socceroos,” he said.
Thompson said it won’t be easy to farewell Kruse as he embarks on his European adventure with Bundesliga 2 outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf, and joked that he hasn’t ruled out following ‘Junior Archie’ to Germany.
“I might be Dusseldorf’s gear manager next year,” he said.
