An industrious midfielder with an eye for goal, Jackson Irvine has become a vital cog in the Socceroos midfield. As he closes in on his 52nd international cap against Denmark, he has never forgotten his roots in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Starting his junior career at Ringwood City FC, where his grandfather coached, Irvine always seemed destined to carve out a profession in the world game.
He grew up just minutes away from another future Socceroo, Curtis Good and the two quickly became inseparable. As kids, the pair played, trained and ran cross countries side-by-side to continually push each other further.
“I always had a ball at my feet when I was a kid, my grandad would pick me up from school and drive me to training. I learned a lot from him but also my teammates. I was lucky enough to play with Curtis Good and Paul Retre, as well as others who went on to have professional careers," Irvine recounted in an interview with Football Australia.
Irvine progressed through Knox City and Endeavour United before earning a spot in Frankston Pines' senior squad in 2009 at the age of 16. Incredibly, in his first year with the Club, he won the Player of the Season Award which paved the way for a successful trial with Celtic.
By 2011 Scotland’s powerbrokers had taken notice. Given his father was Scottish-born, the national side made a move for Irvine, where he went on to represent the Under-19 team.
Although honoured by the opportunity to represent Scotland at youth level, Irvine’s roots in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs meant his heart was always with Australia and when a Joey's call up came, he grasped it with both hands.
During this time a young Irvine was sent out by Scottish giant Celtic on loan, where he showed his potential with Kilmarnock and Ross County, the latter of which resulted in a permanent move.
A successful spell with Burton Albion was then followed by a move to Hull City, where he made 107 senior appearances. His three years as a regular with the Tigers in the Championship firmly put Irvine on the map as one Australia's leading lights.
After a short stint back in Scotland with Hibernian, Irvine made the switch to Hamburg based side St. Pauli in 2021 where he has endeared himself to the fans both on and off the park.
His strong club form has also translated to the national level and his decision to represent the Green and Gold has now led him to football’s biggest stage.
He featured as a substitute in Australia's three group matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup but now in Qatar has become a vital cog in the Socceroos' engine room.
Ahead of tonight's cutthroat showdown with Denmark, Irvine spoke to Football Australia about the feeling in the team camp.
“Obviously, Denmark are a very, very strong team. They had a great qualifying campaigning and were good in the Nations League. They have players playing at the highest level and have technical quality and are solid defensively," he said.
"But there really is a big sense of focus amongst our players. It's just so immense at the moment."
“With the game against Tunisia we just had to enjoy it in the moment because there is that feeling of achievement when you do something special. We really are already ready for more. We want to go again and experience feeling again on an even bigger scale".
Irvine went on to pay his respect to all of the Victorian fans who flocked to Federation Square for the Socceroos victory over Tunisia, stating the team will head into tonight's game hoping to give the fans another memorable night.