Sydney FC young gun Terry Antonis has earned a call up to the Socceroos squad for the games to be played against Belgium and Saudi Arabia in September.
After spending the majority of last season recovering from a long term injury, Antonis has made huge strides forward with the 20 year old a key member of the Sky Blues midfield since his return, showcasing his vast array of qualities including a fantastic long range goal on his comeback against Perth Glory at Allianz Stadium in February.
The youngster from Bankstown said he was thrilled with the opportunity to represent his country as he paid testament to Sydney FC for helping him return to where he is today.
“I’m really excited and happy to be called up,” Antonis said.
“It’s an honour to be selected to go and play for your country and I can’t wait to get into camp.
“The selection definitely came as a shock especially after I’ve been out for so long and then coming back, but it’s good and I’m just really happy to get picked and hopefully I can go on from here,” he continued.
“Both coaches [Frank and Arnie] have helped me out and everyone at the club has helped me out, so thankyou to Sydney FC.”
Antonis has represented the Socceroos four times previously, under Holger Osieck at the East Asian Cup, however the Sky Blues lynchpin is looking forward to the experience of playing under Ange Postecoglou for the first time and has set his sights on cementing a spot in the squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup to be played in Australia in January.
“Everyone knows Ange, he did really well in the Hyundai A-League and he did really well at the World Cup,” Antonis said.
“I think it will be a great experience working under him and it will be a great opportunity for me to go play with the Socceroos.
“They’re going to be tough games, especially Belgium,” he continued.
“I picked them for the World Cup so it’s going to be a tough, they’ve got really good players and Saudi Arabia will be tough opponents too.
“I would love to play at the Asian Cup in January. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and hopefully I can play in front of my fantastic home fans. It’s going to be a great time but I know I’ll have to work hard when I get there.”
Sydney FC Head Coach Graham Arnold praised Antonis for his dedication and commitment in returning to the national side.
“It’s fantastic for Terry and for the club to have him in the Socceroos squad,” he said.
“He has gone through a tough time suffering a bad injury and it’s a great for a lot of hard work that has paid off.”
Terry Antonis will feature for Sydney FC at the Wingate Townsville Football Cup next week before departing for the Socceroos camp on August 31.
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