Strain makes memorable starting debut against old pals

Ryan Strain was given one of the biggest tests in world football on his Subway Socceroos starting debut up against Jack Grealish and James Maddison, but he had the inside advantage.

Strain was familiar with Maddison having played in the Coventry academy with the Spurs star. The newly-minted Socceroos fullback opened up on a bit of banter between the pair regarding Strain’s strike that was cleared off the line. 

“He said, ‘You’ve got to finish that’, but I said I thought I did everything right,” Strain said.

“Then I said, 'what about your shot that went out for a throw-in?'

“It was good to catch up with him.”

The St. Mirren regular also detailed his battle with Manchester City treble winner Jack Grealish, with Strain giving the winger a tough time. Strain knows Grealish well, with their families close - having played alongside each other along with brother Tom Strain at Aston Villa's academy.

“It was great to mark and play against Grealish,” he said.

“He kept hitting me in the stomach. I was saying to him after the game ‘Why are you punching me for?’.

“He said because I kept nipping at his heels, but with a quality of player like that, you’ve got to be on him.”

Tweet: https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1712888010113798553

Strain was disappointed by the defeat despite noting the Socceroos' admirable performance in the match. He singled out his first-half effort from that was millimetres from going in - denying him a dream debut goal.

“[It was an] amazing experience, a very proud moment for myself and we came here and I feel like we deserved more,” he said.

“We had a lot of chances. I had a big chance myself. I saw the keeper coming out, so I kept it low, but it was great defending by Lewis Dunk. On another day, that goes in, but it is what it is.

“I loved it. England have a great team, and I think we really went after them.”

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