A minor hip injury may have kept Shannon Cole out of the Sydney FC side for last Saturday Hyundai A-League clash with the Queensland Roar but it hasn’t hindered the star utility’s rapid rise through the football ranks, with the 24-year-old selected today in the Socceroos’ squad for Australia’s upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia.
A minor hip injury may have kept Shannon Cole out of the Sydney FC side for last Saturday Hyundai A-League clash with the Queensland Roar but it hasn-t hindered the star utility-s rapid rise through the football ranks, with the 24-year-old selected today in the Socceroos- squad for Australia-s upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia.
Cole is the only Sydney FC player named in National Coach, Pim Verbeek-s 21-man team which will depart for Jakarta on Monday, after the Sky Blues- season ending clash with the Newcastle Jets at the Sydney Football Stadium.
“Obviously it-s an understatement to say it-s a great honour because it-s something that every footballer wants to do, represent their country,” said Cole. “I-m just going to approach it the same way I approach training all the time and really get stuck in and do my best.”
The midfielder, come defender is fit to take his place in the Sydney side this-weekend before hopping on a plane with the rest of the locally-based Socceroos squad on Australia Day.
“It-s one of those things where you hear people say all the time, if you told me this 12 months ago I would have said you were crazy, so it goes without saying that it-s not something that I expected at all or considered,” he said.
“I-m looking forward to getting into camp with the team and I-ll be giving it everything I-ve got to play my part if I-m given the chance.”
The Socceroos will face Indonesia in their Group B Asian Cup qualifier in Jakarta next Wednesday, January 28 at 11:30pm Sydney time.
Socceroos
Danny ALLSOPP – Melbourne Victory
Billy CELESKI – Melbourne Victory
Shannon COLE – Sydney FC
Robert CORNTHWAITE – Adelaide United
Tarek ELRICH – Newcastle Jets
Eugene GALEKOVIC – Adelaide United
Dean HEFFERNAN – Central Coast Mariners
Scott JAMIESON – Adelaide United
Dylan MACALLISTER – Central Coast Mariners
Matthew McKAY – Queensland Roar
Craig MOORE – Queensland Roar
Tom PONDELJAK – Melbourne Victory
Paul REID – Adelaide United
Matt SIMON – Central Coast Mariners
Michael THEOKLITOS – Melbourne Victory
Archie THOMPSON – Melbourne Victory
Matthew THOMPSON – Newcastle Jets
Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY – Perth Glory
Rodrigo VARGAS – Melbourne Victory
Danny VUKOVIC – Central Coast Mariners
Michael ZULLO – Queensland Roar