Ipswich Town midfielder Massimo Luongo described his return to the Australia national team as ‘incredible’.
The 31-year-old last represented his country in 2019, but his impressive performances for the Blues earned him a re-call for their friendlies against England and New Zealand.
He played 65 minutes of their 2-0 win against New Zealand this evening, putting in an impressive performance that’s had Socceroos fans calling for him to be a regular member of the squad.
Luongo was delighted to make his comeback, telling 10 Sport after the game that “it felt amazing”.
“I just enjoyed it,” he added. “From minute one, I went out there, wasn’t nervous, wasn’t building it up in my head or anything, I just felt it was nice.
“It felt like I was back home. Obviously, I’m in England, which is a second home to me, but it was incredible.”
There was, of course, a tinge of disappointment not to feature against Gareth Southgate’s side at Wembley, having been left as an unused substitute in their 1-0 defeat.
However, Luongo was keen to highlight the positives, focusing on Australia’s strong showing against their rivals that saw them lift the Soccer Ashes trophy at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
“The England game, I was thinking if I played then, it would’ve been a little cherry on top,” he admitted. “I was looking forward to that, but it didn’t happen.
“Today, Arnie [Graham Arnold] put me in and put his full trust in me. I think the boys played very well and played with a lot of freedom.
“You can tell when the older players are enjoying it, like me. It filters down to the young ones and the boys making their debuts.
“I’m just happy to get on the pitch and do what I can do. I think sometimes I get carried away a little bit, but I loved it.”
