Scoring his first Socceroos hat-trick was a special moment for Jamie Maclaren
Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren has seven footballs in his garage that represent the number of hat-trick he’s scored but there’s one which is more special than the rest.
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Ask Jamie Maclaren how many hat-tricks he’s scored and he responds before you’ve barely finished the sentence.
“Seven,” he says sharply.
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For a confidence player who obsesses over goals, it’s no surprise.
“In my garage I’ve got a box full of balls (players keep match balls after hat-tricks). Three A-League, one from Scotland against Rangers, one Olyroos, one Young Socceroos and now a Socceroos one — that was the most special,” Maclaren said.
“At the end of the day they’re World Cup qualifiers and points are at stake. We approached it like we would Germany or Argentina.
“They were hunting to the death and never chucked in the towel.”
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Some may scoff at Maclaren basking in the afterglow of a hat-trick in a 5-0 romp of minnows Nepal (ranked 161), but those also fail to understand his — and many strikers’ — psyche and pride.
Maclaren is genuinely thrilled every time he wears a Socceroos shirt, having waited his turn patiently.
At age 26, knows every game and goal counts because much was made when he wasn’t troubling the scorers.
His first Socceroos goal (at the 2019 Asian Cup) came after 10 games and mounting criticism, and it remained his only goal before last week’s international window.
Maclaren’s four goals (he also scored in the 7-1 win at Chinese Taipei) took his tally to five in 15 games.
He returns to Melbourne City full of confidence and buzzing after last week’s mixed emotions.
“It worked out well. I wasn’t shocked to start, but it would have been a mental battle missing the Melbourne derby (which was played two days later) and not playing for the Socceroos,” he said.
“2019 has been quite a good one in terms of Socceroos numbers — seven games, five goals — that’s something I pride myself on, numbers stack up.
“Once Arnie gave me full faith from January, I knew it was going to be a good one. I’ve always dreamt about that night, I just didn’t know when.”
City on Sunday regains a player who has scored 10 goals in six games for club and country in the last 11 weeks, as they prepare for a season-defining few days — its first home game of the season at home to Adelaide United and Wednesday’s FFA Cup final away to Adelaide.
And his late appearance off the bench in Chinese Taipei on Tuesday mean he’s physically fresh, albeit jet-lagged.
“I’ve put my hand up and said I’m ready for both, it’s just about how they manage me. I’ll definitely be involved in both,” Maclaren said.
“Sunday is big. The fact that we’re playing the same team doesn’t help, but we’re all human, all winners. I’d be lying if we did not have one eye on the Cup final.
“It’s been a great month and there’s no better way than to keep that rhythm.”