Socceroos young gun Alessandro Circati eager to play in front of family and friends against Palestine

Socceroos young gun Alessandro Circati says winning his second international cap in front of friends and family in his hometown would be a dream come true. The defender is pressing for selection ahead of Australia’s World Cup qualifier against Palestine at HBF Park on Tuesday and could potentially form an all-Perth centre-back pairing with fellow Sandgroper Cam Burgess. The 20 year-old Perth SC junior and Glory academy product moved to then-Italian Serie B side Parma in 2021, and entrenched himself in their first-choice back four the season just gone. Having returned home with a Serie B title under his belt and promotion to Italy’s top league secured, Circati said he was dreaming of making his second appearance for the Socceroos back where it all began. “To play for the Socceroos here would be a dream. Being only my second cap, it would be something that I couldn’t even write three, four years back,” he said. “It would be an absolute honour and pleasure to play in front of some family and friends who haven’t actually been able to see me play, other than playing down at Dorrien Gardens when I was 14, 15.” Circati said Arnold had promised the squad he would swing the changes for the Perth game following their 2-0 win over Bangladesh on Thursday. With Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles chosen for the Bangladesh match, it has opened the door for Circati and Burgess to potentially both start in their home city. “We’re playing for pride, and for me to play in Perth; if I come here and lose, I’m not happy at all,” Circati said. “I think me and Cam will do really well. I haven’t played with him yet, but we do have a connection: Perth.” Having been involved in a few national team camps by now, Circati said he was getting to grips with what travelling with the Socceroos entailed. “Traveling isn’t the easy part. The easy part is the more you get to know the guys, the more you get to know the coach, you understand what he wants. “The adapting is changing the way you play, changing styles, changing models of play. That’s just adaptation. “You need patience, and (Arnie) has told us, but you need to understand everyone, get in the Socceroos’ spirit and be like a family...slowly slowly, you dig your way in.”