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Socceroo star Mile Sterjovski says even players who don’t fancy their chances of making Australia’s World Cup squad should consider a loan stint overseas after the A-League season.
The domestic competition is scheduled to finish on March 20, almost three months before the start of the World Cup in South Africa.
Sterjovski, who has returned to Australia to play for Perth Glory, said he would definitely look to go on loan in that period before the World Cup, though he hadn’t given much thought yet to where he would play.
“If you want to be part of the World Cup squad you’ve got to think about those things and you have to go out and play until the World Cup and play regular football,” Sterjovski told reporters in Sydney.
“I think that’s very important, even for players who might not think they are in the running to be in the World Cup squad, I think they should even look at going out on loan until then.”
Sterjovski said he had made a financial sacrifice to return to Australia.
“Financially in Europe, there’s much more money, even in Asia there’s much more money,” Sterjovski said.
“But you have to make these sort of decisions to find out what’s best for yourself for the future and I’ve never made a decision based on money in my career and I have put the Socceroos ahead of anything.”
Sterjovski was in Sydney for the announcement of the sponsorship of the Young Footballer of the Year Award by the NAB.
Several of Australia’s most promising young players were present, including Gold Coast United striker Tahj Minniecon, who has just recovered from a dose of swine flu.
Minniecon will journey to South America later this week for a Young Socceroos tour.
“I’m feeling good and I will definitely be on the plane on Wednesday,” Minniecon said.
While his club wanted him to stay at home, Minniecon said he would have been disappointed not to play for the Young Socceroos as he was always excited to play for his country.
The exciting attacker revealed there had been no sympathy among his team mates after he came down with swine flu.
“There was a lot more teasing than anything else,” Minniecon said.
Also included in the Young Socceroos squad is Sydney youngster Kofi Danning, who made an immediate impact when he played a few A-League games late last season.
Danning, who was born in Ghana, is waiting to hear whether he will be allowed to play for Australia in the under-20 World Cup in Egypt in September.
Under the rules of the sport’s world governing body FIFA, Danning has to wait for five years after the age of 18 to be eligible to play for Australia.
“The FFA are putting forward a case, I’ve had evidence of my life in Australia, schooling and all that type of stuff,” Danning said.
“I’ve been in Australia for 11 years, I think that I should be allowed to play for Australia, so hopefully it all goes well.”
Jason Hoffman said while some players at the Jets were shocked by the decision of coach Gary van Egmond to leave to join the AIS, he supported the decision.
“It was a good opportunity for him to further his coaching career, I wish Gary all the best, but I suppose some of the boys were a bit shocked when Gary decided to leave,” Hoffman said.
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