Victoria’s Matthew Leckie has been picked for his third successive world cup and will bring experience and pace to the team when called upon.
The veteran has been capped by the Socceroos 73 times and scored 13 goals since making his debut in 2012 against South Korea. He has been a constant for Australia on the wing for the Australian side and was one of the shining lights of the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup campaigns.
Leckie started his footballing career at Brimbank Stallions FC, before moving to the Bulleen Lions in 2007. A-League side Adelaide United soon took notice and signed the forward where he would spend the next two seasons.
In 2011 he made a move to Germany where he made 230 appearances for four clubs, scoring 21 times and making 25 assists. After a decade abroad, Leckie came back home last year to Melbourne City and has scored 10 goals and made six assists in 30 appearances for the club.
After enduring a long journey to ensure qualification for the tournament, Leckie has done everything he can to be ready if called upon by head coach Graham Arnold.
“As soon as we qualified, I knew what was needed to be ready for a world cup and it’s a different sort of situation coming into this one,” Leckie told the media in Qatar.
“We don’t have our pre-camp and there was no time to get ourselves ready in a physical sense so it was super important to get ourselves ready and do all of the right things from then to now to get myself in the best shape possible.
“Whether I am on the field come kick-off that is up to Arnie, but I am just proud we are here and whoever takes the field will do the job.”
Leckie has predominantly played as a winger across his career, however, believed his versatility would in his favourer across the tournament as he can also play as a striker and central attacking midfielder.
“The most important thing to do is whatever Arnie (Graham Arnold) goes with in terms of line-up everyone brings their own induvial qualities, and I was selected as an attacker,” he said.
“I think he has selected two players for each position, and I was mainly selected as a winger but if he taps me on the shoulder and says he wants me to play a different role I will definitely do it.
“I am just happy I have experienced those roles I guess; I can do the job if needed.”
Having been drawn France and Denmark for the second successive world cup, Leckie said the players were determined to claim revenge after coming up short in 2018.
“As a leadership group we had a bit of a chat and said this is our second chance, we were so close but so far last time and although we threw everything at it, but we missed out,” he said
“We have always had a belief as a squad, but I think the belief even more because of how good we did against them last time, it’s just that one or two percent more that will get us over the line.”
Former Brimbank Stallions FC senior captain Thomas Galea said he knew there was “always something special” about Matthew Leckie when they played juniors together
“It wasn’t necessarily about how technical he was on the ball, but it was the way he fought for every ball. He was such a good team player and he would never give up,” he told Football Victoria.
“He just worked extremely hard, and I think over the years, just being challenged more and more at higher levels his competitive side has just driven him to be a better player. With every challenge, he has risen and become better and better.”
Galea said the attributes Leckie has showcased all over the world were evident while playing alongside the forward.
“Matt was in our team at Brimbank probably from our U13s to U15s, we were quite a successful group at that age,” he said.
“His strength on the ball, his attitude in trying to win every ball and never giving up was there to see all those years ago.
“He has probably slowed down a little bit now that he is older, but he has always been very quick.
“The attributes we see today whilst playing for the Socceroos we're very evident as a junior”
Galea expressed Leckie’s competitive nature would hold him in good stead for Australia’s three crunch games in Qatar.
“My strongest memories are Mat's competitive side and love of playing rather than being a student of the game.
“Whether it was playing in a match, one v one in the backyard, or even on FIFA, he always wanted to win.”