Subway Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic has named a 23-player squad for a training camp in Abu Dhabi leading up to the June international window.
READ MORE: Tony Popovic assembles training camp squad in United Arab Emirates
Three players have been selected for their first training camp, while seven players are returning to the Socceroos fold.
This 23-player squad does not include a number of players who remain with their clubs during this out-of-window period. They will become available for selection come the international window.
The final squad will be announced in the week preceding Australia’s two games against Japan and Saudi Arabia on June 5 and June 11.
Returning Players
Joe Gauci, Goalkeeper
Joe Gauci missed the March window after sustaining an injury following his recent midseason loan move to Barnsley from Aston Villa. Gauci has accumulated seven caps for the Subway Socceroos, featuring more frequently since Tony Popovic has been at the helm.
Alex Gersbach, Defender
Alex Gersbach returns to the Subway Socceroos fold after earning the most recent of his six international caps in 2018. The 28-year-old full-back returned to the A-League when he joined the Western Sydney Wanderers this year after nine years abroad, where he played in Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States.
He scored his first A-League Men’s goal last month and made 11 appearances for the Wanderers over the course of the 2024-25 season.
Ryan Strain, Defender
Defender Ryan Strain has been included in the Socceroos training camp squad on the back of his first season with Dundee United. The Adelaide junior was first called up for the Subway Socceroos in August 2021 before debuting just over 12 months later against New Zealand.
His last call-up came in June 2024 for World Cup Qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine.
Keanu Baccus, Midfielder
Keanu Baccus returns after a season playing with Mansfield Town in League One. Baccus appeared in most of their games this season, making 32 starts, and scoring four goals.
The 21-cap Subway Socceroo was most recently called up in October last year.
Max Balard, Midfielder
24-year-old Max Balard will have another chance to impress Head Coach Tony Popovic after earning his first call-up last year. The Mariners academy product currently plays for NAC Breda in the Eredivisie where he has been almost ever-present, making 32 starts in the 33 games of the season so far.
Balard is yet to earn his first cap for the national team.
Connor Metcalfe, Midfielder
St Pauli’s Connor Metcalfe comes into Popovic's training camp after recovering from an injury that saw him miss around six months of football. He has made one start for his club since recovering and will look to make an impression on his return to the international training environment.
The last window that he participated in before his injury was September, when he started against Bahrain.
Riley McGree, Midfielder
Finally, Riley McGree has been passed fit to participate in our Abu Dhabi training camp after a stop-start 2025. The attacking midfielder has made one appearance for Middlesbrough since New Year’s Day.
The 27-capped Socceroo will be hoping that he can shake off his injury struggles to impress Popovic and his coaching staff.
First training camp
Jack Iredale, Defender
Jack Iredale will be involved in his first Socceroos training camp after impressing for Hibernian this season. The 29-year-old former Australian youth international has plied his trade in the UK for most of his career, for clubs such as Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers.
The 6ft defender started his career with the Perth Glory before heading overseas to the country of his birth, Scotland.
Iredale will be surrounded by some familiar faces in Abu Dhabi, with club teammates Martin Boyle, Lewis Miller and Nectarios Triantis also included in Popovic's training squad.
Paul Okon-Engstler, Midfielder
Paul Okon-Engstler has earned his opportunity in the Socceroos training camp after standout performances at the AFC U20 Asian Cup™. Okon-Engstler is a youth player for Portuguese giants Benfica.
The 20-year-old central midfielder has represented Australia at both U20 level – where he has been a standout – and U23 level. He is the son of 28-time Subway Socceroo and current Assistant Coach Paul Okon.
After the Young Socceroos' success earlier this year, Okon-Engstler will have his eyes on the FIFA U20 World Cup Chile 2025™ which takes place across September and October this year.
Nicolas Milanovic, Forward
Nicolas Milanovic has been called up to the training camp off the back of a fantastic finish to the A-League Men season with Western Sydney Wanderers. He scored 12 goals over the course of the season to help the Wanderers to a finals berth.
And his impressive season did not go unnoticed, with Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen signing the attacker on a pre-contract agreement for an undisclosed fee. Milanovic signed a three-year deal with a club option for a fourth, with the Wanderers also revealing the transfer is a club-record sale.
The 23-year-old from Penrith is tipped to have a bright future in Australian football.
Subway Socceroos v Japan
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Perth Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 9:00pm AEST
Tickets: Start from $16 Child, $19 Concession, $29 Adult, and $89 Family. Tickets from Ticketmaster.