Jackson Irvine

often said to me when I was young that they, you know, because I used to try and copy my dad's voice.

I used to want to have a Scottish accent.

So I always had this kind of weird in-betweeny accent, even as a kid.

And then, yeah, I got the chance to play, you know,

living in Scotland, being half Scottish, playing for the biggest club in Scotland.

At that time, I'd also never been selected for any Australian national teams and it was a chance to play international football.

So at that time, it wasn't a decision because there was no decision.

I'd never been selected for anything from the Australian side.

So then I played for Scotland.

I loved it.

Like, it was amazing.

I went to this one tournament where I played three games, but I immediately kind of knew it wasn't.

It wasn't for me.

You know, when I think about my life growing up as a Socceroos fan, as my relationship with the Australian football, it was the only team I ever wanted to play for, really, was the Socceroos.

And then after kind of, yeah, that kind of transpired, that...

year um I've kind of flagged on the on the radar of the of the Australian of Australian football and and then I was eventually selected for the under 20s about a year later um and I immediately kind of made the switch it was never really much of a decision Scotland were amazing they you know we had some good conversations they really wanted me to stay and be involved in the in their setup but um I think they knew where my heart really was and there was no as soon as there was a decision there wasn't a decision uh that's the only team I wanted to play for

It's just, yeah, it's, as I said, like my relationship with the Socceroos has always been so special and I'm so grateful and fortunate that it's grown into this like story over a decade.

But, you know, that one, the first one, yeah, you never forget it.

And because I think also because I got to take the pitch with so many guys from the last generation who I'd idolized and grown up loving, like Lucas, like Lucas Neal and Bresh was in the squad and, you know, these kinds of players that have

shorten you know yeah like I don't know it felt it felt a little bit different it was like it was when I think about that game that one game I played compared to the rest of my soccer it was like it existed in a different time where like you know there was I don't think there's I think maybe Lex was the only player and Maddie was in the squad as well but I think no one else was even that still playing football was even in that squad you know kind of thing it's it was existed in a different in a different time and yeah just that first one you never forget it it was incredibly special.