Daniel Arzani’s form in the Hyundai A-League has been extremely impressive and he’s gaining momentum as a bolter towards a 2018 World Cup spot in Russia.
Arzani has notched up ten appearances in the A-League, quickly establishing himself as a star of the future. His willingness to take on the opposition and draw fouls much to the frustration of his opponents is something that has caught the eye and should be on the radar of Bert van Marwijk.
Arzani made his name back in round 14 when he was brought on substitute in the second half of Melbourne City’s come-from-behind against Wellington Phoenix and made a real impact.
Two assists on the night as the architect for Ross McCormack’s brace ensured that City took away all three points. Arzani has featured in every game since after spending the early part of the season working hard for his spot.
His most recent match against Perth Glory emphasised his attacking potential and showed what a fantastic player he can be once he adds more goals to his game.
Liam Reddy had no chance as Arzani found the top corner and netted his second of the season and his first from open play. His only other goal this season came when he confidently took the penalty duty and converted against Newcastle Jets in round 18.
It’s not unrealistic for the FFA to consider him as an option but they must give him the incentive as he weighs up his international future between Australia and Iran.
In the most recent World Cup of 2014 England gave Raheem Sterling exposure on the big stage as a youngster at the time, showing that national teams can look to add some more spark through their youth. In England’s 2-1 loss to Italy, Sterling was a standout performer at 19 years old which is the same age that Arzani is now.
Both he and Sterling are similar players and an experience like that would do wonders for Arzani’s development. In a team that is crying out for more creativity from others apart from Aaron Mooy, van Marwijk could do worse than give Arzani his first senior Socceroos cap.
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