New Socceroos dynamo Awer Mabil has implored fans to get an early seat on the bandwagon as the next generation of footballers begin to shape the destiny of the national side under new coach Graham Arnold.
The 23-year-old, who has been in blistering form of late for his Danish outfit Midtjylland, hopes to be central to the next wave as he vies for a spot in the squad to defend the Asian Cup next January in the UAE.
Australia will finish their preparations with a clash against South Korea in Brisbane on Saturday night before heading to Sydney to meet Lebanon at ANZ Stadium on Tuesday.
Mabil found the back of the net in his Socceroos debut against Kuwait in October, dedicating that to his mother Agot Dau Atem, who fled war-torn South Sudan for the Kakuma refugee camp in Australia before the family finally arrived to start a new life in Adelaide in 2006.
Awer Mabil (right), with Socceroos teammate Thomas Deng.Credit:FFA/AAP
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He will have younger sister Bor in the stands on Saturday night as he tries to impress Arnold and become a regular in a line-up that has farewelled experienced campaigners Tim Cahill and former skipper Mile Jedinak.
"It's exciting times for the Socceroos. It's good to be back home. I cannot wait for the fans to see the new era that's beginning now. I'm excited for the fans and the times ahead," Mabil said.
"It feels really good, you can see the mixture of youth and also the experience. We've all had the chance to meet Mile and Timmy… it's good to take their experience and the other boys are now ready to take the lead.
"We have a lot of leaders in the team and us young boys are ready to follow in their footsteps and learn from them."
Mabil's trek to international football has had more than its share of pitfalls, not the least of which was his family's escape from a warzone to find sanctuary in Australia. Even them he said he experienced racism as a teenager, at one point being set upon by one of his neighbours.
"I have faced it a lot," Mabil told the BBC's World Football program. "Once, when I was 16, I came home and one of my neighbours attacked me.
"The first thing I did was shut the front door and hide my siblings. I was talking to these guys while the door was shut, I said 'go away.' They kept saying 'go back to your own country.'
"Apart from that, you experience day-to-day things like when you're walking along the road there are people in cars beeping you and saying things. That's normal."
But Mabil has nothing but love for the green shirt he was proudly wearing around Brisbane on Thursday and deeply values the opportunity Australia had provided. He said the Socceroos had become a second family already and he was prepared to do whatever it took to retain his place in the group.
"It's been amazing… amazing times. I feel comfortable every time I come here with Arnie and the coaching staff and the players… it's a big family. I feel very honoured and am playing to defend the colours of Australia," he said.
"It hasn't all sunk in yet but I'm loving it and will continue to work hard to try and create more memories.
"I don't want to get comfortable. I just want to work hard every time I'm called up. If not, I know we have many good players so I'm ready to push those players so they are ready to represent their country to the best of their abilities. For me, I'll do the same."
The winger left Adelaide at the end of 2015 to further his career in Europe but as is the case for so many young players with stars in their eyes, the reality was far more brutal than the dream.
Dropped, relegated and battling for confidence, Mabil said he grew under the added pressure and now comes to the Socceroos as a seasoned, resiliant professional.
"The last two years have been tough for me but I wouldn't change that because it's made me stronger. I left here when I was 19 and I was expecting to play straight away. I got a reality check… I wasn't ready for European football.
"I had to find my way through the past two years and that's going on loan and getting relegated two times. Also when you go over there, you have to know everything isn't going to fall your way. You have to find a way to try to succeed and that's through hard work and adapting and learning how to play the way your club wants to play.
"It's given me everything, to be honest, even if at the time I didn't see the value of those hard times. I look back now an think it's the best way it could have happened. You grow under pressure. That's the journey of being a footballer and the obstacles are what makes you appreciate the good times."
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