Jackson Irvine is a student of the game.
He's one of those professional footballers who don't just play the sport, but consume it on a daily basis.
While representing the Subway Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup, he took the time to watch as much of the tournament as possible - including Ecuador's Group A clashes with Qatar, the Netherlands and Senegal.
With Australia set to host the South American nation in Sydney and Melbourne this month, Irvine shared his thoughts on the nation's upcoming opposition.
"Obviously the first game was a great result for them, but the rest of their results probably don't reflect how well they played," the St Pauli midfielder told Socceroos.com.au.
"What I saw from them at the World Cup was really impressive, they've got an abundance of talent and young players playing at the top level.
I'm excited for that fire that comes when you play against a South American team, I'm sure they'll bring that to Sydney and Melbourne with them.
"You have to match it and then bring the quality so yeah, I'm super excited to see what Ecuador bring in March."
Ecuador boast a trio of Premier League talents amongst their ranks, with Pervis Estupiñán, Moisés Caicedo and Jeremy Sarmiento all currently representing Brighton & Hove Albion - a team Irvine has been keeping a keen eye on as well.
"I've watched a lot of Brighton this season, and their couple of players there have been super impressive," said the Socceroo.
It's another really tough opponent with players who have played at the top level."
On a personal level, Irvine is eager to re-unite with his international teammates for the first time since Australia's historic World Cup campaign late last year.
The midfielder is one of many who have been in stellar form for their clubs, further boosting his excitement to pull on the Green and Gold once again.
"But for us, we've got our own players that are hitting massive strides of form at the moment," Irvine said.
"It's a huge test, we're playing against teams from different continents provide us with a different opportunity to explore different ways of playing.
"I'm so fulfilled with the way we approached the experience (at the World Cup), but just hungry for more.
"I think it's just lit more of a fire, and has everybody ready to go again for this next cycle and try and grow on what we did in Qatar."
The Subway Socceroos play their first matches on home soil this year against Ecuador on March 24 (Sydney) and 28 (Melbourne).
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ WELCOME HOME SERIES – MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day One
Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Time: 8.00pm AEDT
Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=SOCECU23
Broadcast: Live on 10 in Sydney and Melbourne, 10 Bold in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, and on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Match Day Two
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Time: 7:30pm AEDT
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/event/25005E53BFD52417
Broadcast: Live on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+
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