• Ajdin Hrustic has quickly become a key figure in Australia’s Qatar 2022 campaign
  • Eintracht Frankfurt-based Hrustic has scored some stunning goals during qualifying

  • Midfielder discusses his passion for free-kicks, admiration for David Beckham and realising a childhood dream

If there has been a breakthrough leading for Australia during their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™ qualifying crusade, it is surely Ajdin Hrustic. The attacking midfielder has impressed with his finely-tuned technical skills and center for a defence-splitting passes but, shining above all else, is a quickly expanding dead-ball highlights ’ reel. The 25-year-old has fired home plate a couple of jaw-dropping free-kick as the Socceroos strive to reach a fifth consecutive World Cup. Hrustic stuck with impressive preciseness against Kuwait, but his centimetre-perfect goal against Japan in Tokyo seemed more like a computer pretense than real life. Australia face a hard challenge to reach Qatar 2022. They are locked in a tripartite conflict for two automatic tickets alongside perennial qualifiers Japan and a freshly-enhanced Saudi Arabia under the care of Herve Renard. In the most holocene Aussie squad, the Eintracht Frankfurt-based Hrustic was the only outfield player presently featuring in one of Europe ’ s top-five leagues. Qualifying for Qatar 2022 would, Hrustic admits, be the realization of a childhood dream. A goal heightened by a specialize failure to achieve World Cup excerpt three years ago under Bert van Marwijk. “ It [ missing choice ] made me work even harder, ” Hrustic told FIFA.com. “ I was only new but I used it as a positive. I worked even harder to make sure I would be ready to play in a World Cup. ”

It has been something of unusual international football travel therefore army for the liberation of rwanda for Hrustic. Born and raised in Melbourne, and with Bosnian and Romanian heritage, Hrustic made his Socceroos ’ introduction against a star-laden Brazil at the much-eulogised temple to sport in his family city – the 100,000 capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground. With trademark caution, then-coach Ange Postecoglou selected Hrustic for the Green and Gold just weeks after making his elder club football debut. A trip to the ensuing 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup followed alone for Hrustic to then temporarily go off the external radar. now qatar 2022 is his driving ambition. “ We have played two [ qualifying ] games in the World Cup stadiums in Qatar and when I first base stepped onto the pitch for the beginning match there [ Khalifa International Stadium ], I got goosebumps, ” Hrustic said. “ It is a child ‘s dream to play in a World Cup, it is something I have always wanted to achieve in my career, and I think it is credibly the biggest goal I want to achieve. Hopefully dreams will become reality at the end [ of the qualifiers ]. ”

Hrustic name-checks Socceroos ’ capital Tim Cahill and England megastar David Beckham among his childhood heroes. “ I vividly recall watching Tim Cahill ’ s celebrated fusillade goal [ in 2014 ], ” he said. “ He was the first base guy that came up to me when I foremost came into camp. He made me feel welcome straight away and said ‘ welcome to the family, I want you to feel at home ’, and that means a lot. “ Hopefully I can do that kind of thing in a few years because I know that feeling Timmy gave me was big and made me feel so much more comfortable. It means a draw as a unseasoned kyd. Watching him in a World Cup and then playing alongside him was the kind of thing you dream of. “ I always wanted to be a dead-ball specialist. It ‘s something I worked on since I was a kid. “ I constantly looked up to David Beckham and followed his career. That free-kick he scored against Greece [ that qualified England for the 2002 World Cup ] is the kind of farce I love seeing and it was a limited consequence. “ When I was young I used to aim for the window in the shed in the backyard and I finally smashed that up. When that got bore or I wanted to change positions I would aim for the kitchen window so I got into a few problems at home when I was a kid. My Mum would chase me around when they were smashed. My Dad supported me because he knew I loved football so much. It cost him a bit but it paid off in the end. “ I have this find, every prison term I step up for a free-kick … when I run up and if it feels thoroughly I know I am in with a casual to score. “ possibly there will be a chance where I can score a free-kick and help us qualify for a World Cup. ” If a Hrustic hit can take Australia all the way to Qatar 2022, it very would be a case of a backyard childhood pipe dream becoming reality .