Ange Postecoglou has delivered an inspirational speech to the Socceroos squad on the eve of their historic match against England at Wembley Stadium on Friday night (Saturday 5.45am AEDT).
Former Socceroos boss Postecoglou, who has been dominating the English Premier League since becoming Tottenham manager in June, was invited into the Socceroos camp by coach Graham Arnold, with another former Australian coach Guus Hiddink also delivering some words of wisdom.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Ange Postecoglou’s message to the Socceroos.
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Australia’s 23-man squad were shocked when Arnold walked into the team hotel as the players were having lunch and said: “Look who I just found in the cafe downstairs.”
Legendary Socceroos coaches Postecoglou and Hiddink walked in behind Arnold as they went around the room and wished the players well for the game against England and congratulated them on their performance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year.
Postecoglou addressed the squad and spoke of the “impact” the players will have on future generations of Australian footballers.
“You are playing for yourselves (against England), but (it’s) the impact you can have for future generations,” Postecoglou said.
“You play at a stadium like that (Wembley Stadium), make an impact – it’s not just for you.
“There’s going to be a little boy or a little girl who are going to look at that and go ‘one day that’s going to be me’.
“That’s the power that you guys have when you represent your country.”
Postecoglou urged the players to embrace the experience of playing against England at Wembley.
“Make your trip to Wembley a memorable one,” Postecoglou said.
“Not that you just played England but you knock them off.
“That makes it memorable, not just for you but for everybody.”
Postecoglou called on the players to believe in themselves and find that never-say-die attitude.
“As Australians, we can do whatever we believe we can,” Postecoglou said.
“They can put us down, we keep working our way up.
“It wasn’t that long ago I was here (as Socceroos coach). Now I’m in the Premier League and everybody loves me, but trust me I haven’t changed one bit.
“I’m the same person but because I was Australian, because you’re Australian, sometimes you’ve got to work that little bit harder. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“That’s what makes us special, makes us different.
“Nothing is given to any Australian footballer, you all have to earn what you get.
“Because as soon as you say you’re from Australia, that puts you down a peg or two.
“But you’re here (in Socceroos camp) and don’t let that happen and don’t let that happen from now on.”
Hiddink is known as an icon of Australian football after taking the Socceroos to the 2006 World Cup – the first time playing in the tournament since 1974.
Postecoglou thanked Hiddink for his contribution to Australian football.
“I’m grateful to the great man (Hiddink) for the difference he made to Australian football,” Postecoglou said.
“It took us a long time to get there to a World Cup and that was a big moment.
“A lot of these guys were little boys and they got inspired by that and we used to talk about it a lot.
“That day you made a difference to their careers.”
Postecoglou is well known for giving game-day speeches to teams in the meal room and he finished his address to the players with his famous words, “I’ll finish it like I always do, enjoy your lunch boys.”
Arnold said having the former Australian coaches address the players was a “fantastic” experience and it demonstrated the importance of the Socceroos culture.
“I just thought, the guy (Postecoglou) has done so much for Australian football, and this is such a special occasion, to bring him in for lunch. And obviously, the same with Guus, because he changed the game in 2006,” Arnold explained.
“For me, it’s what the Socceroos culture is about. It’s not just about me, it’s not just about the people.
“It’s about the nation and making sure that the cultural side is right – that any Socceroo who comes in, this is what it’s about. A lot of those guys didn’t know Guus Hiddink, or hadn’t met him before, and a lot hadn’t met Ange.
“But to have two of the greatest coaches in with them to have lunch was fantastic.”
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