Keanu Baccus Key Points: Day 5 Press Conference

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Keanu Baccus spoke to the media on Day 5 of training at the Socceroos' Home Base Media Centre in Doha ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Life in the Scottish Professional Football League:

“I think the league is a great league, the SPFL. There is a lot of Aussie boys going over there from the A-League Men, which is good for us as a national team and us moving forward.

“It’s a great league to be a part of, in my opinion. It's a good step up from the A-League Men.

“Physical wise, I think it gets your body ready for men's football, more so than you know what we're used to with more games and more demand on the body in the schedule.

“You can feel it at some stages in games where you are the opponent and you know, your fans obviously need that win, or the whole club needs the three points to progress off the (bottom of the) table and stay away from that relegation battle.

“The relegation battle is huge over there and no team wants to go down.

“And as a club like St Mirren, we don't want to go down and we want to be as high as possible.

“We want to do well, every week to be in that top six come the end of the season.”

Being part of the 26-man Socceroos World Cup squad:

“I'm just happy to be here, I'm happy to have my name be named in that squad of the 26 players, arguably the best 26 in Australia.

“So that's a great feeling at this stage to be recognised and, and to be rewarded for all the hard work. Whatever happens now is a bonus for me.

“But I'm going to do my absolute best and enjoy every moment that comes my way.

“Hopefully, if things come off the back of that, that's a great feeling. But you know we'll go day by day.”

Being one of nine Tokyo 2021 Olyroos’ members in the squad:

“Big credit to all the boys that are here because we worked hard for that tournament to get to that Olympic stage as well.

“That gave us the experience of men's football, and I know that was under 23s, but for us it was a big, big step up from where we were all playing.

“Most of us were playing in the A-League Men so it was a good challenge, a good experience for us to go through that all together.

“Arnie was there with us which helped integrate us into men's football here in the national team.

“We were grateful to have that experience and it's good that a number of us are here from there.”

Making his debut against New Zealand:

“It’s an amazing feeling.

"It’s pretty good because I've worked with Arnie before, and the staff and I know what they expect in terms of coming around the camp and being with the boys and how to act.

“I’m going to continue to do that and out on the training pitch do my best.

“Any minutes that I get to do my absolute best that’s all people can ask, and that's all I can ask myself.”

Providing an edge and a physical presence:

“That’s always been a strong part of my game.

“From a young age, I've always loved to get stuck in so I'm going to continue to do that over here.

“Obviously Scotland has helped with how physical that league is and that's helped me to grow in that, and that's sort of my game even more (now) than when I went over there.

“Definitely going to bring that over here in this squad and this team.”

Representing Australia over South Africa:

“I came over to Australia when I was nine months., and yeah I don't know any better.

“I'm Australian through and through.

“So I've never thought about not playing for Australia my whole life.

“I'm grateful that things like this and the Olympics have come my way at such a young age and I'm just hoping to kick on.

Attracting interest from other clubs:

“I'm just going to look to improve my game, every game that I play and just get better.

“Obviously, I'd love to progress as far as I can in my career and play at the highest level. I think everybody as a player wants to play in the English Premier League, that's where I'd love to be.

“I'm in the UK now it's a stepping stone but if I can progress to another stepping stone before that stage then you know that'd be great for my for me, my career and everyone involved.”