Socceroos World Cup bolter Fran Karacic has never set foot in Australia
HE has never set foot in Australia and has the potential to play for Croatia, but Frans Karacic looks set to become one of the Socceroos’ most remarkable World Cup bolter stories.
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HE has never set foot in Australia, yet looms as the solution to the Socceroos’ right-back woes for the World Cup.
Fran Karacic, whose father was born in Australia, looks set to become one of the Socceroos’ most remarkable World Cup bolter stories after he was picked in the extended 32-man squad.
The Herald Sun revealed last month that Karacic was officially on the Socceroos watch-list and it’s understood that the Croatia Under 21 international has given FFA assurances that he will switch allegiance.
Lokomotiva Zagreb executive director Dennis Gudasic revealed that Karacic had the potential to progress to Croatia’s senior team, suggesting new Socceroos boss may have pulled off a coup.
Once capped, Zagreb-born Karacic won’t be able to represent Croatia’s senior national team.
“Fran has been approached (by FFA). It is his call, but I believe he will seriously consider it (if he gets called up). He has been in Croatia for a while, but we will support his decision,’’ Gudasic told the Herald Sun last month.
“He’d be a worthy member of the Australian team. They looked at him before but he had to pull out due to injury.
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“He has the potential to play for Croatia, but if he plays in a World Cup there is no turning back.
“The way he’s developing and when you look at Fran three years ago compared to now, in a few years he will definitely be at the level to play for the Croatian national team. But Croatia is a hard team to break into.”
Unearthed by long-time Socceroos assistant Ante Milicic, Karacic was on the verge of being selected by former boss Ange Postecoglou before he was ruled out.
The Socceroos’ ongoing right-back issues - Bailey Wright, Mark Milligan and Josh Risdon were all tried there in the March friendlies, while Ivan Franjic, Ryan McGowan and Milos Degenek all played there in the Postecoglou era - prompted van Marwijk to intensify his scouting.
Van Marwijk revealed that another senior assistant twice went to Croatia to watch Karacic, who has played 57 first-team games for Lokomotiva - who are sixth in the Croatian top division.
He played 90 minutes as Lokomotiva Zagreb upset second-place Rijeka 1-0 and his ninth 90-minute outing on the bounce since returning from injury.
Karacic is dashing right-back with a strong leap and possesses a long throw-in.
While Karacic has impressed for Croatia’s U21s, there is a high-calibre queue ahead of him in the Croatian national team, led by Atletico Madrid right-back Sime Vrsaljko, who just took over from Croatia legend Darijo Srna. Former Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka can also play right-back.
“I didn’t see him myself. The first information came from (assistant) Ante Milicic. He plays for Croatia Under 21, Croatia is a good football nation, he’s already the captain of his team,’’ van Marwijk said.
“He is a right-back player and we don’t have a lot of players in that position. I took also Brillante because he can play right-back.
“He can be an interesting player for us. So I want to bring him and see him.”
Originally published as Socceroos World Cup bolter Fran Karacic has never set foot in Australia