"Always dreamt of playing for the Socceroos" - Nisbet eager for minutes following late call-up

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Joshua Nisbet says his late call-up to the March window Subway Socceroos squad has not deterred him from targeting as many minutes as possible.

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Nisbet received his first senior national team call-up following Lewis Miller being deemed unavailable for international duty.

READ MORE: Subway Socceroos Squad Update - Lewis Miller injury

Australia face a testing double-header against Lebanon, with significant strides towards FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification up for grabs.

The side are yet to concede a goal in qualification, having defeated Bangladesh 7-0 before edging past Palestine 1-0 in 2023’s November window.

For Nisbet, being selected to represent Australia at the senior level fulfils a life-long dream.

“It’s a dream come true. As an Australian, you always dream of playing for the Socceroos,” he said. 

“I haven’t done that yet, but to potentially be given the opportunity, I’m really looking forward to it.”

The hard-working midfielder has been enjoying another standout campaign at Central Coast Mariners, picking up nine goal contributions in the engine room of the reigning A-League Men’s champions.

His domestic performances have been recognised with back-to-back PFA Player of the Month awards, but Nisbet said he has been trying to keep a steady head.

“There was definitely a slight thought I could be in it [the Socceroos squad], and thankfully I am,” he said.

“I’ve just tried to play my game and enjoy the moment."

Image Credit: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
Joshua Nisbet of the Mariners celebrates (Image Credit: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

“You’re playing in the league, and you’re playing well, and then you keep building on that. Because you’re doing so well, you don’t really think about playing, you just think about the moment."

“I thought I was playing pretty well at club level, and people were talking about it. I wasn’t trying to focus on it too much because if it doesn’t happen, you see disappointment.”

Nisbet said he was delighted when he found out he had the Socceroos, having missed out on the initial 25-man squad.

The 24-year-old also said the situation changed for him in the space of a day.

“It was a very nice moment, but I think the reaction of my teammates was what was a really nice feeling,” Nisbet said. 

“The night before the announcement, I got informed that I was a call-in player, waiting to see if there were any injuries or suspensions or people couldn’t make it.

“Then the squad gets released, and all my teammates [at Central Coast Mariners] were pretty disappointed.

“Between the morning to the afternoon, we had a team meeting. The club got informed, and Mark Jackson congratulated me for the player of the month for the PFA and then dropped that ‘you’re in the call-up’.

“He said ‘we got a call this morning that you’re in’ and I was pretty stoked. I didn’t really say much, and then I turn around and all my teammates are standing on their feet, clapping, cheering."

“Some of the players spoke about getting goosebumps, so it was pretty nice.”

Nisbet said he is focused on getting some minutes for the Socceroos this window, looking to force his way into Graham Arnold’s plans for future squads.

He faces competition for a place in Australia’s midfield with the likes of St Mirren playmaker Keanu Baccus as well as St Pauli duo Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe.

“I’ve come here to try and push my way into the squad. With the training sessions, I can hopefully do that. I understand that I was not the first picked, but football’s a funny game, and if you impress, things change,” Nisbet said. 

“I’m definitely here to enjoy myself, have fun and meet with all the boys, but my first priority is to try and get as many minutes as I can.

“I’ll just play whatever role I need to play and play the style Australia and Arnie wants. I want to make sure I can do my best to win these games because these games are really important.”

Nisbet could get his first taste of action in the green and gold senior set-up on Thursday night at CommBank Stadium, in Australia’s first match against Lebanon. 

MATCH DETAILS:

Subway Socceroos v Lebanon
Thursday, 21 March 2024
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEDT
Tickets: Start from $20 Child, $25 Concession, $30 Adult, $80 Family via Ticketek
Broadcast: 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+

Lebanon v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $25 Adult, and $50 Family via Ticketek
Broadcast: 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+