Massimo Luongo, one of the revelations from our 2015 AFC Asian Cup triumph, shares his memories of the tournament as we celebrate the anniversary ten years on.
The then 22-year-old played a decisive role throughout the Finals and was subsequently named the Player of the Tournament after scoring two goals and laying on a further four assists.
Indeed, his second goal occurred in the decider when he opened the scoring against the Korea Republic in stunning fashion.
Read on to see what he had to say when reminiscing about his fondest moments, including famously breaking the deadlock on the biggest stage of all.
Opening game against Kuwait
Surprise start and low expectations
To be fair I remember all of it, but the most significant bit was probably my expectations. I didn't expect to play as much. I think we had the first game against Kuwait. Marco Bresciano is on the bench, he's a main player for the Socceroos. But we got Kuwait in the first game, it's a long tournament.
In my head, I'm thinking I'm only in just to sort of start the tournament off and give Mark a little rest and use him in the later parts and the more important games.
First-game nerves
I even just started pretty bad. I couldn't find my feet I think every ball I touched went out of play or I gave a foul away and then they scored. And then as soon as they scored, it was like an awakening for everyone in the team and we just never looked back and we just needed that to get the nerves out, in front of our home country.
[After we conceded] I remember a throw-in went into the corner and I managed to get a hold of it and cut it back for Timmy [Tim Cahill] and suddenly it was 1-1 and then everything was gone. All the nerves or the fears were gone and we just improved from there.
Scoring in the Final
I always get reminded every January. I remember it being a lot slower in real-time. The pass from Trent [Sainsbury], the touch, the touch is good. I like the touch. It was a really good touch to evade Ki [Sung-yueng], he was having a hell of a tournament. So you know him on my back and I remember Robbie Kruse in the corner of my eye.
I had all that time to think.
'Turn, oh no he's (Ki) on me. Get him off me. Robbie's on. I don't really shoot from outside the box, we weren't really in the game. Screw it. I'll just hit it'.
And the ball bobbled up just a little bit so I can put my full lace through it, and it just flies in the bottom corner. It was a good moment.
James Troisi's winner
The build-up
I wanted the foul, desperate for the foul [on Tomi Juric]. I'm going thinking 'that's a foul' and then he's done unbelievable. I've even gone over to help him but we have like three or four players in the box. Tomi got the ball early and I thought 'here we go' because they [Korea Republic] were tired, and we were well fitter than them. So I thought we're getting a goal. I want another goal.
For some reason I just felt like the ball will fall to me. But you know, he's [Tomi] got it and I don't know how he's getting out of there and then the keeper fumbles his cross to Jimmy [James Troisi], who tucks it in. Then we just had to see the match out after.