Socceroos striker Adam Taggart keen to make the most of Australia Cup outing

An Australia Cup clash on Wednesday night will have extra significance for a Socceroos striker.

The Australia Cup will on Wednesday night provide striker Adam Taggart with some much-needed game time ahead of the Socceroos’ upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain and Indonesia.

With the A-League season yet to start, Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has suggested there will be very few Australian-based players named in the national squad for Thursday week’s battle with Bahrain on the Gold Coast and the following Tuesday’s clash with Indonesia in Jakarta.

However, Perth marksman Taggart is expected to be included in Arnold’s squad, which will be announced on Friday.

It means the Glory’s round-of-16 Cup game against NPL Queensland club Moreton City Excelsior at Brisbane’s Perry Park on Wednesday will hold extra significance for the 31-year-old forward.

Glory coach David Zdrilic has been impressed with Taggart since taking charge of the Perth club in June.

Adam Taggart has impressed new Perth Glory coach Adam Taggart. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

“`Taggs’ has been brilliant – he’s been flying,” Zdrilic said.

“He’s a real leader and he’s a winner. He’s got that mentality that he just wants to win in everything that he does.

“In terms of as a frontman, yes, there’s his goalscoring, but it’s also all his work around that.

“Taggs has a good knack of instigating a press, and he’s got that intelligence and timing to do it, which is very important.

“He embraces it, he drives everyone else, and he’s got very nigh standards, which I love, because I do as well.

“He demands the best and the most out of all the players and everyone around him. I really love that. That shows real leadership qualities.”

In Wednesday’s other round-of-16 Cup matches, NPL NSW club North West Sydney Spirit hosts Melbourne Victory at Christie Park, and Oakleigh Cannons meets Heidelberg United in an all-NPL Victoria clash at Bundoora.