Debut: 13/06/2017 v Brazil
Socceroos Cap Number: 589
Major Tournaments: FIFA World Cup 2022, FIFA Confederations Cup 2017
Current Club: Hellas Verona
Previous clubs: Gronigen, Eintracht Frankfurt
Ajdin Hrustic has broken into the Socceroos’ midfield, injecting a classy touch and knack for set-piece taking into the squad.
The Melbourne-born midfielder moved overseas as a teenager and featured in Nottingham Forest, Austria Wien and Schalke 04’s youth systems before breaking through at Dutch Eredivisie outfit FC Groningen.
Hrustic made his first team debut for Groningen in 2017 and made over 50 appearances for the side before earning a move to German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hrustic's 64 appearances for Groningen's first team produced four goals four goals and four assists, leading to the midfielder's move to Frankfurt where Hrustic played 11 times in his debut campaign in 2020/21, scoring one goal.
Weeks after scoring his first Bundesliga goal, Hrustic earned his first start for the Socceroos against Kuwait.
In a 3-0 victory, he won a penalty in the first half and stepped up to curl home a stunning free kick in the second.
Hrustic received more minutes the following season in the Bundesliga and would later score in the penalty shootout of the 2022 Europa League Final against Rangers in Sevilla to clinch his first piece of club silverware.
With Australia, the attacking midfielder also dispatched a brilliant free-kick on national team duty against Japan in a 2-1 defeat and soon after his European success, Hrustic netted the winner against the UAE in the final AFC round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification process to set up a meeting with Peru in the intercontinental playoff.
Hrustic penned a four-year deal with Serie A side Hellas Verona on the penultimate day of summer transfer window. Hrustic made three substitute appearances for Australia at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, having come into the camp under an injury cloud after sustaining an ankle issue with Verona.
