Australian Olympic team: Mitchell Duke in Olyroos squad named for Tokyo Games

Olyroos coach Graham Arnold has pulled a few shocks in the 18-man Olympic squad he feels is capable of an incredible upset.

Rebuffed by “30 to 40” clubs to release players for Australia’s Olympic campaign, Olyroos coach Graham Arnold remains bullish about his team’s ability to “shock the world” in Tokyo next month.

The Olyroos announced their 18-man strong squad for the Tokyo Games which boasts eight players with Socceroos representation and a distinct A-League flavour, with veteran Mitchell Duke called on to spearhead the attack alongside overseas stars Daniel Arzani and Riley McGree.

Mitchell Duke has been called on as one of Graham Arnold’s two overage players. Picture; AAP

Arnold made “between 30 to 40” calls to clubs around the globe requesting the availability of players, both overage and under-23 eligible, and received positive responses from just three.

It explains the absence of certain high-profile Socceroos but despite being hamstrung by FIFA regulations that allowed clubs to pull rank in the battle with Australia’s team, Arnold wasn’t backing down from the challenge of a ‘Group of Death’ that boasts Spain, Argentina and Egypt.

“I look at the squad that we’ve got and I’m over the moon with it. My expectations are that we’ll shock the world,” Arnold said.

Daniel Arzani (centre left) alongside Socceroos legend Tim Cahill (centre right) at the 2018 World Cup. Picture: AAP

Olympic selection caps an extraordinary few years for talented youngster Arzani, who burst onto the international scene with breakout performances at the 2018 World Cup before injury derailed his development following a high-profile European move.

The Manchester City-contracted 22-year-old tore his ACL in his debut for Scottish giants Celtic, has played just 12 club matches in the past three years and is currently awaiting his next loan destination.

But Arnold said Tokyo represented an opportunity for the dynamic attacker to resurrect his career.

“Things haven’t gone his way over the last couple of years,” Arnold said.

“All those high expectations we put on him after Russia in 2018, some cameos off the bench for Melbourne City, it hasn’t gone the way he wanted to. What do we do? Help the kid, or burn him out?

“Daniel is a great talent and is one that we want to help resurrect his career, put him on the world stage and move the kid forward. He still has that great talent.”

Man-of-the-match in Sunday’s A-League grand final, Nathaniel Atkinson, made the cut as did his Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover – while Sydney FC’s Joel King will dust himself off from the grand final defeat to take his spot in Tokyo.

Duke, the former Western Sydney Wanderers skipper who returned to the A-League on loan from Saudi Arabian club Al-Taawoun this season, is one of two overage players, along with Central Coast Mariners’ South Sudan-born defender Ruon Tongyik, selected to bolster the squad.

Tongyik could form an intimidating centreback pairing with Scotland-born Harry Souttar, who has made an enormous impact both in defence and as a goalscoring threat since earning a Socceroos call-up in 2019.

SQUAD: Daniel Arzani, Nahaniel Atkinson, Keanu Baccus, Nicholas D’Agostino, Thomas Deng, Mitchell Duke**, Denis Genreau, Thomas Glover, Joel King, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Dylan Pierias, Reno Piscopo, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ruon Tongyik**, Caleb Watts.

**Indicates overage squad member.

Note: Cameron Devlin, Jordan Holmes (goalkeeper), Ramy Najjarine and Lachlan Wales have been named as train-on players who could earn selection through injury to squad members.