After a two-year exile from the Socceroos, coach Ange Postecoglou has brought James Troisi back in from the cold and the playmaker feels he has the X-factor needed to stay there.
Troisi made his Socceroos debut in 2008 but really looked like becoming a permanent fixture in the side in 2011 when he was lighting up the Turkish top flight at Kayserispor.
But the calls inexplicably stopped coming from Australia’s then coach Holger Osieck.
The 25-year-old Melbourne Victory star says he still has no idea why.
“I can’t answer that question,” he said at the Socceroos’ training camp on Saturday.
“I really don’t know. For me, it was really disappointing. I was doing well in Turkey and just wasn’t getting the call up for whatever reason.”
Then, having secured a dream move to Italian giants Juventus, he was sent to fellow Serie A club Atalanta, where the games also dried up.
Postecoglou, who at the time was coaching the Victory, convinced him to make a loan move to the A-League and it paid off.
Under the watchful gaze of the Socceroos’ mentor, Troisi scored 15 goals and made seven assists in his 35 games to break back into the national fold.
But with 30-man preliminary World Cup squad still to be trimmed to 23, Troisi knows his job isn’t done yet.
“He gave me a call in Italy and told me to come back and I think it was the right decision,” he said.
“I know he likes me but I’ve still got to do what I have to do in this short period of time.
“He was at pretty much every single game of ours so he knows what I can do so I guess that’s why I’m here and I just want to continue that form.”
Troisi is one of 13 midfielders in the 30-man group but has proven a valuable asset to Postecoglou’s preferred attacking style.
He scores and creates goals and can get in behind defences, which is exactly the type of game Postecoglou likes to play.
Troisi feels he has what it takes to stand out from the crowd and get the opportunity in Brazil to add to his nine caps.
“That’s one of the reasons he brought me to Victory because he likes an attacking style of football I play,” he said.
“I think if you just look at what I’ve done this season, I’m playing as a 10 not only creating goals but scoring goals.
“People are saying I’m a striker which I’m not.
“For me, I think I bring something a little bit different. I can play with the ball and play people in and also run in behind and score goals as well, which is quite hard to find.
“I think that’s why I’m in the squad.”
SlickAs
Guest
That is a pretty parochial thing to say. I would be disappointed if Postecoglou were not completely agnostic in terms of A-league teams, and seeing the A-league as like a development tournament for the national team with when Brisbane plays Melbourne it meaning little more than "shirts off vs shirts on" as you watch the individual decisions, positioning, touch of the players. To me the two best players in Brisbane by a gulf are both foreigners who are ineligible for the Socceroos, and had the referee rewarded the penalty against Milligan in the semi-final, we may have seen a MVFC vs WSW grand final, thus completely ignoring results and just watching performances. Complaining about the selection of those Melbourne Victory players would be a bit like complaining about Spiranovic's inclusion. They are clear selections. Despite Brisbane winning the double, personally I am more concerned about Franjic and McKay than the MVFC trio. Not because they are Brisbane Roar players, they are both reasonably handy A-league players, but because Franjic looked terribly out of his depth against Ecuador, and McKay at left back would surely be torn to shreds by Arjen Robben when we play Holland ... that would be just scary, and at left wing is no substitute for Oar. He buzzes around the field in the A-league, and while both are utility players, I don't feel like they are up to standard in International football. I get worried because I know that Postecoglou likes those quick mobile players and therefore they may be selected as starters. I have no such concerns about Milligan and co whom I find all solid.
Reginald Bomber
Roar Guru
Predictable that Troisi doesn't want to call himself a striker. He's a midfielder who can score goals, which is exactly what AP is looking for. AP has stacked his 30 man squad with 13 midfielders and his final 23 will probably have about half midfielders. Everyone wants to be known as a midfielder these days.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
If you are trying to say that you think Troisi did not actually use those exact words - then I accept that - let us put it down to the journo using some poetic license.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It's certainly a sign of the times. Eight years ago, three A-League players made the WC squad, from three different teams (one of them had only just returned from a loan deal to the Eredivisie) - none of the three came close to getting game time in Germany. Now we are on the verge of sending to Brazil 3 mids from the one A-League club, one which failed to crack the top two of a ten team comp. I'm just putting it out there - can all three make the squad of 23? Would Holland have in its squad of 23 three mids from Heerenveen or Vitesse? Nee, natuurlijk.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Is there a link you can provide that shows Troisi saying "he has X-factor"?
Dan
Guest
It is a bit weird that he's talking himself up but I think he's an excellent player, hopefully it helps him to perform. I disagree with your thought regarding the selection of Victory players. Players should be selected based on their skill level and their form, not the position their club finishes in the league. I despise the Victory (any Melbourne or Victorian based team actually) but I do think all the Victory players earned their selection.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I have never heard a player refer to themselves as having the X-factor, that's usually a description assigned by third-parties. I will say this: I noticed in the squad of 30 that 3 midfielders come from the Victory, a team which failed to make the last two of a 10 team competition. It's hard to believe that our final 23-man squad would still contain 3 Victory mids. Just a thought.