After his Herculean efforts on the World Cup that helped seal a transfer to Premier League outfit Leicester, towering Socceroos defender Harry Souttar feels he belongs as one in every of Graham Arnold’s leaders.
Souttar is ready to return to CommBank Stadium for Friday’s recreation in opposition to Ecuador, 16 months on from an ACL harm that threatened to derail his profession.
Souttar went down within the ultimate levels of a dull 0-Zero qualification draw in opposition to Saudi Arabia and, on the time, his harm was seen as a important blow to Australia’s hopes of constructing it to the World Cup.
However after coming again simply in time to star within the event in Qatar to safe his transfer to Leicester, the 24-year-old appears to be like set to change into the bedrock of Australia’s protection for a few years to come back.
“Take a look at the scale of him – how can he not lead?” Arnold requested as he pointed to the 198cm defender on Thursday.
Friday’s recreation will solely be Souttar’s 15th cap however his on-field presence displays why he is seen as a pure contender to at some point change into Socceroos captain.
“It takes just a little little bit of management from all people,” the Scottish-born heart again stated.
“You have to be your self, you possibly can’t faux to be somebody you are not.
“An important factor is that you simply’re vocal on the pitch.
“There’s differing types and the extra leaders we now have within the squad the higher it should be for the crew.”
Souttar is the one Australian participant at present plying his commerce within the English high flight however there’s a good likelihood that will not be the case for for much longer.
He has adjusted effectively to the swap from Championship facet Stoke, even when Leicester are locked in a tightly contested relegation battle.
“The focus has been the most important distinction for me,” Souttar stated.
“The physio stated to me after the primary week, ‘your coronary heart charge has gone a bit excessive this primary week’.
“I stated, ‘Yeah, I did not want a coronary heart charge monitor to inform me that’.
“The tempo has clearly stepped up… there isn’t any relaxation.”
