After making his debut for the Socceroos at 32 years of age, Anthony Caceres spoke to the media to express what it meant to him, how he’s staking his claim to remain in the squad and to preview our upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Qualifier with Bahrain.
Caceres became another established A-League Men’s star to receive a well-deserved call-up from Tony Popovic this window, following six sensational seasons at Sydney FC which have seen him lift two A-League Men’s Championships and one Australia Cup.
The silky midfielder came on for his Australia debut in the 74th minute and showed glimpses of his ability in a short first appearance.
Ahead of the Bahrain match, Caceres spoke about how he can utilise his unique skillset, as well as reflecting on a major moment in his decorated career.
Here’s what he had to say.
On what it meant to make his Socceroos debut
It sunk in the second I stepped onto that field. It was a very special moment looking into the stand and seeing my family there with the Australia kit on. It felt very real from the get go, it fueled me with energy and excitement, and it's immediately become the highlight of my career. It’s a special moment, and one I'm grateful for.
On being in the Socceroos camp
I'm familiar with a lot of people here. It's a serious environment, but a welcoming one. I think it's a place that allows everyone to strive for and be at their best. So I've enjoyed every minute so far. It's an amazing feeling and even though I'm in my 30s, I think this will provoke growth in me still. It's going to test the level that I'm at, but I'm confident I can deliver a good performance when called upon.
On joining Popovic’s second Socceroos squad
It's a time where the team is still evolving to a new philosophy, a new style of play, I think one that everyone has bought into and everyone's on board with. For me, it's about embracing every moment. If I can come in with a freshness of energy and a fresh set of skills to offer the team, I can make a difference. And it's about adapting as quickly as possible to my role and what the coach demands. So it's been really enjoyable and hopefully, with more opportunity, I can contribute more.
On his aims to stay in the squad
I'm here because of the consistency I've achieved over the last few years. It's taken Popa coming in to give me that chance. Over time, I've developed good habits that have kept me at the top of my game for a long time. For me, it's not about changing anything. It's simply about improving, understanding what the coach demands, his ideas and philosophies and trying to bring something new to the team. I think that that will give me the best chance at staying where I am now. I believe my strengths are a lot of what I do with the ball, and I think I can offer the team a lot of solutions in that respect, I feel comfortable receiving the ball in all areas.
On the messages he received after his call-up
It was quite overwhelming actually. I'm not one to spend a lot of time on my phone, but I had messages from all sorts of people, ex-teammates, coaches, fans. It's been amazing support. Initially, obviously, I wanted it to sink in with my immediate family, my girls, wife, parents, in-laws and my sister, and it was great to have them at the game. It's a memory that will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
They've been on this journey with me through the ups and downs, and they deserve to enjoy this as much as I do. But it's been an amazing response to my call-up. Immediately, my phone blew up and all the messages were extremely positive. I felt the true support of the country and the league back home. Players from other clubs were reaching out and congratulating me, and you know that made me feel really special, to be honest. Hopefully, my performances repay their support, and I can set an example for other players that aim to reach this level, that, it's never too late.
On Douglas Costa’s help and advice
We communicate in Spanish, and I try to throw a little bit of Portuguese in which is useful, and we actually get on really well. I feel he's settled into the club extremely well. Everyone has kind of got around him, and he's bought into what we're doing. And before the call-up, we had a few chats talking about ambitions and goals and what we wanted to achieve. And the national team came up, and he said that he was going to do everything he could to help me achieve a level that is good enough to be called here. Thankfully, that's happened, and having players like that around me will continue to help me be better every day. It's a pleasure to be with someone like that who's competed at this level many times. He had some good words of encouragement for me before I left, and he's extremely happy to see me here.
On responding to the previous Bahrain defeat
For me personally, it's more motivation than frustration. I felt very comfortable in the brief moment I was on the field the other night. And within those moments I saw opportunities that I think we can really hurt teams. We're set up to have a lot of numbers around the ball, win it back quickly, and really take charge of a game, and if we're well-connected, which is a word we use often here, I think it will give us tools to really hurt Bahrain. I see this as an opportunity.
For me, this whole camp, everything has always been about opportunity. And we've got a great chance on Tuesday night to really make a statement with a good performance, and that should lead us to the desired points.
On making a difference against Bahrain
It's always easier from the outside though, everything looks so simple until you get on the field, it's a lot different. But what I do remember from that game is thinking we could take more risks and look to take it to Bahrain and be the team that dictates the game. I feel, if we play with bravery, freedom and belief in our ability, then we can really hurt them.
Structurally, we've got all the tools to make it impossible for them to penetrate and look to threaten our goal. We have a great backline who are great individually at winning their duels. And the formation allows us to get pressure on the ball, it allows you to be on the front foot and close people down when they receive the ball. So I think if we are fluent in our play, we stay connected, and we are brave enough to play forward, look to drive, and be creative, then we should create a lot of chances and hopefully take advantage of them when they come.
Next Match
Bahrain v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday 19 November 2024
Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
Kick-off: 9.15pm local (5.15am AEDT – Wednesday, 20 November)
Broadcast: Paramount+