Jackson Irvine hopes to celebrate rare summer trip home with Socceroos win

Jackson Irvine is again set to provide the Socceroos with some much-needed midfield energy against Vietnam at AAMI Park.

Socceroos midfielder Jackson Irvine has no intention of spoiling a rare summer at home with a poor performance against Vietnam on Thursday night.

The addition of a January-February AFC World Cup qualifying window means Germany-based Irvine is home in Melbourne for an Australian summer for the first time in 11 years.

“It’s a bit bizarre under these circumstances but … it’s nice to be here when the sun’s shining, instead of in the June break which I normally am,” he said.

However, 28-year-old Irvine’s trip home is anything but a summer holiday.

Without a victory from their past three matches, the Socceroos are facing a must-win encounter against Vietnam at AAMI Park to maintain their hopes of qualifying automatically for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

“We haven’t played a qualifier here (in Melbourne) in a long time, and under the circumstances it’s hopefully going to be a really good atmosphere,” Irvine said.

“Everyone’s feeling fresh. It’s really exciting to get going.”

Jackson Irvine prepares for the Socceroos’ clash with Vietnam. Picture: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Irvine predicted the Socceroos will produce a high energy display similar to what his German second division club team St Pauli provides each week.

“It’s a key point of what we try to deliver every time we step onto the field,” he said.

“I feel like we’re all in a really good position in home land, in club land, and also within the camp to bring that to the table on Thursday.”

Irvine arrived in Melbourne on the high of St Pauli’s German Cup round-of-16 win over Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.

“It was one of the highlights of my career; one of those ‘tough-to-process’ moments being involved in a fixture like that,” he said in reflecting on the 2-1 win.

“It’ll be something I reflect on in weeks to come and realise the magnitude of what we achieved.”

With German giants Bayern Munich also out of the Cup, Irvine said the quarter-finals were “unbelievably open”.

“The draw’s next week. Four second league teams are in the last eight, so it’s really exciting,” he said.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who has tested positive to Covid-19, remains in isolation in Melbourne.

He is due to emerge from isolation on Thursday, but it remains unlikely he will be in the dugout that night, with Socceroos assistant coaches Rene Meulensteen and Tony Vidmar having taken charge of the squad.

Meanwhile, Socceroos defender Milos Degenek’s move from Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade to US Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew was confirmed on Tuesday.

Degenek’s deal runs until the end of next year, with an option to extend the contract to 2024 or 2025.

Socceroos & Columbus Crew.

WE’VE ACQUIRED AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MILOS DEGENEK 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/UCDLlayBo2

— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) January 24, 2022

Originally published as Jackson Irvine hopes to celebrate rare summer trip home with Socceroos win