Australian football has a problem.
While just about every person in the country wants to be a part of Matildas mania ahead of Saturday night’s Asian Cup final in Sydney, several budding talents are turning their back on the Socceroos.
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There may be one or two surprises on Thursday when Tony Popovic announces his squad for this month’s FIFA series friendlies against Cameroon and Curacao, but in recent times there has been a wave of homegrown talents looking elsewhere.
That will always be the way for club football.
But it is a concerning trend when it comes to the international game.
Last week, Adrian Segecic announced that he has switched his allegiance to Croatia.
The 21-year-old, who was born and raised in Sydney, will represent the nation of his grandparents’ birth at U21 level this month.
It was a move that blindsided Football Australia and Socceroos officials and is a significant blow to the national team.
“It wasn’t easy to make this decision because I grew up in Australia, which I represented at youth levels, so I would like to express my gratitude to the coaches and teammates with whom I shared the dressing room,” Segecic told the Croatian football federation’s website.
“However, my family is from Croatia and I feel a connection to the Croatian people. I felt the desire to represent Croatia as my homeland.
“I thank the Croatian Football Federation for their dedication during this process – I clearly felt the desire from people in the Federation for me to become part of the Croatian football family.
“I will continue to work hard to fulfil my football dream of playing for the senior Croatian national team.”
The attacking midfielder has scored five goals for Championship side Portsmouth this season – his first since moving to England from Sydney FC.
He earned a Socceroos call-up for last September’s friendlies against New Zealand, but did not set foot on the pitch.
Doing so would not have tied him permanently to Australia as FIFA’s rules state you can play three internationals for a country and still switch.
This rule has been used by the likes of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice (Ireland to England) and former Chelsea striker Diego Costa (Brazil to Spain).
Segecic missed out on the squad for October’s friendlies against Canada and the USA.
He also missed November’s friendlies with Venezuela and Colombia.
Segecic missed four games for Portsmouth during that stretch with an ankle injury, and played limited minutes either side of being sidelined.
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If Segecic had have been capped in September, who knows what would have happened.
He may have stayed committed to Australia, he may not have.
Regardless, the hypotheticals do not soften the blow.
“It is disappointing, we don’t want to lose him, we know he is still a young player and we want him for Australia,” former Socceroo Robbie Slater said.
“But he must not be feeling a lot of love. You would dare say that Croatia have been in contact with him for him to do that.
“It is a big move. But I understand that every players wants to go to a World Cup so I can’t blame him for that.
“He has to make his own decisions and be comfortable with it.”
Segecic’s decision is not unprecedented.
If he does make it to the Croatian senior team, he will not be the first Australian to do so.
Josip Šimunić is well remembered for being the Croatian played who received three yellow cards in the group game that sealed the Socceroos’ progression to the Round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup.
But the centre back could have easily been wearing Australian gold that night in Stuttgart.
Šimunić was a product of the Australian Institute of Sport and started his senior career in the old NSL alongside Mark Viduka at Melbourne Knights.
Legendary Italian striker Christian Vieri is arguably the most famous name to slip through the Socceroos’ fingers.
Vieri scored 23 goals in 49 appearances for the Azzurri, including scoring nine goals across the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
Having grown up in Sydney, the goalscoring machine, who was bought by Inter Milan for a then world record fee of €49 million in 1999, would have been handy alongside Viduka for Australia.
Those examples still haunt many Australians and Segecic is not the only one who could repeat history.
Cristian Volpato’s allegiance was all the talk four years ago and the 22-year-old has once again been back in the spotlight in recent times.
The Sydney born and raised winger rejected Graham Arnold ahead of the last World Cup in Qatar.
The then teenager was making waves with Roma at the time and chose to pursue playing for Italy.
Volpato’s stocks have diminished in the intervening years.
He is still plying his trade in the Serie A, but is now with Sassuolo and his form has been patchy.
But last month, Popovic and his assistant Paul Okon were spotted at one of Volapto’s matches in Italy.
It was revealed that the door has been opened to a potential Socceroos backflip.
Although, Popovic dismissed claims that he and his staff were the ones doing the begging.
“Nothing’s changed – we’re not selling the shirt,” Popovic said last week.
“What’s probably changed is that Paolo (Okon) has been in touch with him regularly since October.
“On this occasion, he (Volpato) indicated that he would be interested in a discussion about playing for Australia, and once he indicated that to Paolo, then I was in Europe, and we both went over to see him and have chat to him.
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“We went to his (Serie A) match (against Hellas Verona). He didn’t play, unfortunately, but we just wanted to see what he’s thinking, where he is at the moment, in terms of his football, in terms of where he sees himself internationally, going forward.
“We told him about our plans, what we’re trying to do, and then the rest is up to him.
“There were no ultimatums or any pressure. If he wants to play for Australia, whether it’s in three months, six months, a year … they’re young men, you have to respect the decisions they have to make.
“He’s gone through the junior process, a lot of that with the Italian national teams. He’s a quality young player that has a lot of potential.
“He hasn’t played a lot of football, but recently, the last four games, he’s come on in all of them … and now that he’s indicated he’s open to the idea (of playing for Australia), if he decides (to represent the Socceroos), he comes on the list of our 50 players.
“Then we will monitor him and be in regular dialogue with him in terms of medically and any support that we can give, but we’ll see whether that happens or doesn’t.”
It is no secret that attacking weapons have always been highly sought after by the Socceroos.
And Volpato is not the only one in Italy that has been closely monitored.
Teenager Antonio Arena made headlines earlier this year when he scored with his first touch on his professional debut for Roma.
The towering 16-year-old striker could be a surprise call-up for the Socceroos’ World Cup squad, having been born and raised in Sydney.
But he represented the Azzurri at last year’s U17 World Cup – a tournament Australia did not qualify for.
“Obviously (it’s) different because he’s very young. I think it’s just… we’ve had a lot of dialogue with him,” Popovic said.
“The Federation has had a lot of dialogue with him. So it’s just staying in touch with him, knowing that we’re here, we’re here to support him. Again, no pressure on the kid.
“Just enjoy football, keep progressing, keep developing and let’s see how that plays out. Certainly no pressure from our side. We’re delighted that he’s doing well.”
Arena is not the only goalscoring Australian teen with decisions to make, however.
Daniel Bennie went viral last month with a superb strike from outside the box to open his account for Championship side Queen’s Park Rangers.
The 19-year-old joined the London club from Perth Glory and has represented Australia at U17 and U20 level.
He scored twice last year as the Young Socceroos made the Asian Cup final.
But Bennie was born in Hong Kong to Scottish parents.
With Scotland qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998, he now has two paths to the biggest tournament on the planet.
He also been in conversation with former QPR teammate Lyndon Dykes, who chose to represent Scotland despite growing up on the Gold Coast.
“I’m really proud of both my Australian and Scottish roots. So whatever happens, whoever comes, whoever believes in me, I’ll be proud to represent them,” Bennie told The Times.
“I know some people might think I’m only interested (in Scotland) because of the World Cup, but this is something I’ve had in my head for as long as I can remember.”
It is not all doom and gloom for Australia, however.
The Socceroos have had plenty of success stories when the shoe has been on the other foot.
Among the likely World Cup squad, Harry Souttar and Martin Boyle were both born in Scotland.
Alessandro Circati chose Australia despite being born in Italy.
Australia may also gain a player this year in a surprise move.
Croatia-born Hibernian striker Ante Suto holds an Australian passport.
The 25-year-old has scored three goals in six games since moving to Scotland and Popovic revealed last week that he has been keeping tabs on Suto.
“Interesting player because he was at Slaven Belupo which is a smaller club in Croatia,” Popovic said.
“Always a club that’s played younger players and tried to play a certain way and then they usually sell on their players to Hajduk or Dinamo or Rijeka.
“But it’s rare that a player goes from that club to Scottish football because the intensity and the tempo, the difference is so vast between the two leagues.
“And then to see that he’s adapting well to that league and scoring goals coming off the bench.
“Maybe they don’t see that he’s physically quite right to start yet, but he’s certainly contributing and he’s probably adapted a lot better to that type of football, that intensity quicker than I expected.”
If any of Volpato, Arena, Bennie or Suto are named in Popovic’s squad for Australia’s farewell friendlies before the World Cup, it will surely attract plenty of attention.
The Socceroos boss did tease “surprises” in the squad last week.
Every player has their own reasons for their decisions.
But more players looking elsewhere to play their international football is not something anyone in Australian football wants to see more of.
Regardless of how each individual case plays out, the problem will not bother Popovic.
He has a bigger task at hand.
Making it out of the group for the same second straight World Cup, and the third time in the nation’s history is the goal.
Whether or not those names are along for the ride, will not bother him.
“A lot of people here at the FA and the coaching staff have done so much hard work in the background to make sure that our preparation can be the best it can be,” Popovic said.
“We want players to thrive in that environment, understand what they’re there for, but also to enjoy every part of it.”