Victoria’s Bailey Wright will be looking to make his World Cup debut in Qatar after being selected in Australia's 26-man squad.
Wright has been capped 27 times by Australia, scoring two goals, and was included in the squad for the 2014 World Cup.
The defender was an unused substitute in all three group games and was left out of the final squad for the 2018 World Cup.
Wright told Football Victoria he felt an "overwhelming feeling" overcome him when he found out he was selected in the squad.
“I was sitting on the sofa with my wife, we had just got our eldest daughter to bed, and she was actually feeding our newborn baby girl and a message pinged through on my phone which I knew was going to be the message which was going to confirm whether I was going to be in the squad or not,” he said.
“I gave my phone to my wife, and I got her to read it out to me because last time I was really crushed I wasn’t selected for Russia (2018 World Cup), so I was really prepared for anything.
“It was a proud moment for myself and my family because they are the ones that I do it for, they give me so much motivation to work hard every day to make this possible.”
Wright explained that missing out on the 2018 World Cup ended up being a blessing in disguise, as it made him work even harder to ensure he was in the squad for the 2022 World Cup.
“I bottled it up and used it as motivation to be where here today,” he said.
“I learned a lot about myself in 2018, I had a massive sense of pride watching those boys play in Russia knowing I played a big part in getting those boys there as well.
“No matter what ups and downs I experienced I knew I had to keep plugging away and keep trying to be the best version of myself I can be.
“I knew I only have a short career and moments and achievements like this; being at a world cup and having the opportunity to do something special is what dreams are made of.”
Being an experienced member of the squad, Wright was determined to do everything in his power for Australia to make history in Qatar.
“Qualifying for the world cup is great, but now we have an opportunity to do something no other team has done before,” Wright said.
“I want to share my experiences and demand those standards from each other and be a part of the belief that we can do something special.
“2014 was an incredible experience for me, I learned so much about what it takes to be a national team player and what is expected of you.”
Only days away from Australia’s opening game against France, Wright said the starting 11 was very much still up for grabs.
“Whether I play or don’t play I will always be there to push myself and my teammates because at the end of the day it is a team game,” he explained.
“For me personally, I want to play and be a part of a winning team here more than anything, but we all have a role to be there and represent our country the best we can.
“I probably speak on behalf of every single player here that we are all fighting for that shirt, we all want that shirt for that first game against France.
“It is healthy competition in every position all over the pitch, I think that is really important.
"We are really pushing each other, but also, we have each other’s backs.”
Despite playing in the Championship with Sunderland, Wright still keeps a keen eye on football back home.
“I very much want to make an impact in improving the game (in Australia) long beyond when I finish playing,” he said.
“We really need to find out as a nation what suits us and what is our strengths.
“We have some really good coaches in Australia, but we probably need to be offering some more opportunities for coaches to develop these players because we have a lot of talent, but it is the way we nurture and develop it.
“We need to provide more competition, more games for the players because ultimately it is about playing as many games as possible against a good variety of opposition.
“Participation levels are the highest in Australia, we have the Women’s world cup next year; there is so much to be excited about, we need to make sure that these tournaments leave a lasting legacy on our grassroots football in Australia.”
Before moving to England to ply his trade, Wright first laced up his boots for Langwarrin SC in Victoria’s southeast.
“Langwarrin had the biggest impact on my junior career by far, he said.
“My journey varied, I played for Mornington Soccer Club, a season with the Dandenong Thunder where I was playing men’s reserve football at age 13.
“I was physically developed for my age, but I also loved that competitive edge, I loved to compete, I just loved proving people wrong.
“Dandenong gave me that opportunity at that age to play men’s football and really learn a lot about myself. I always had to overcome obstacles and challenges in front of me and I went on to proudly represent and captain many Victorian teams where I had some incredible experiences.”
For any players wanting to take the next step in their footballing careers, Wright expressed the best thing to do would be to push themselves out of their comfort zones.
“If you feel like things are getting too easy go and make things more difficult for yourself however that may be, that’s where you learn the most about yourself,” he said.
“There are pathways and opportunities there more than ever but ultimately it is down to you as an individual if you really want it then it is ultimately down to you to make things happen.”
Langwarrin SC president Tanya Wallace said she was “very happy” for her childhood friend.
“I have known Bailey for quite some time and have always been close with the Wright family,” she said.
“It was really cute to watch a five-year-old Bailey run around and play with my brother (Alastair), they were a great bunch of friends.
“He is just a really humble down-to-earth guy and deserves all the success.
“He has just gone from strength to strength, I am really happy for him.”
Wallace said she always knew Wright was going to make it from a young age.
“He used to live down the road from the club, so he was always at the ground, kicking the ball,” she said.
“He always was talented, so it is nice to see him get rewarded for all of his hard work,” she said.
“He would always be the first to arrive and the last to leave, it was very much known he would always go the extra mile.”
Wallace ensured the Langwarrin SC and the entire community were right behind Wright ahead of potentially his maiden World Cup match.
“Our club and supporters are really happy for him he has made it to the World Cup, that’s for sure.
“We have a lovely, framed Socceroos shirt with Wright on the back which has prime placement in our club rooms which is a massive ode to him, we are really proud of him.
“Being a local player, it is really good for our members as well as the Peninsula Soccer community to see someone like Bailey make it big on the main stage in England, it is massive for the area.”