He became a cult hero at the FIFA U-20 World Cup as much for his brilliant beard as for his classy performances in the green and gold, but Josh Brillante is looking forward to taking the next step after making his first Socceroos squad.
He became a cult hero at the FIFA U-20 World Cup as much for his brilliant beard as for his classy performances in the green and gold, but Josh Brillante is looking forward to taking the next step after making his first Socceroos squad.
In a whirlwind couple of months, Brillante joined Holger Osieck-s side that are currently in Korea for the EAFF East Asian Cup almost immediately after his return from Turkey with the Young Socceroos.
The Newcastle Jet did not play in the Socceroos opening match against hosts Korea and may not get a start in the tournament but admits that he is taking in as much as he can during his time with the senior side.
“It has been an awesome experience to be in my first Socceroos trip,” said Brillante.
“It is great to be involved in a side with all the older boys that have been there before.
“Anytime I get on the field will definitely be a bonus.”
With senior players such as Archie Thompson and Mark Milligan in the EAFF Cup side, the young gun is trying to soak up as much as possible.
“The older guys have been really easy to talk to and know that us younger guys are keen to learn and are happy to have a chat.
“I have learnt about all the little things that make a big difference when you get to this stage. Things like recovery and preparation and how these help to perform in the big games.
“As a team we all want to have the best possible players in the side so they are happy to help those here for the first time so the younger guys can step up when they are needed.”
Osieck obviously believes that Brillante is a player on his radar and had some kind words for him about his strong performances for the Young Socceroos.
“Holger told me that he watched me at the Under 20 World Cup and said that I did pretty well.
“He told me that I was going in the right direction and to keep working hard at my game.
“It was definitely a confidence boost to hear that and to also have made the jump up from the U-20 squad to the senior level is amazing.”
The Socceroos next opponent is Japan on Thursday night which will go a long way to deciding who takes out the tournament.
“The match against Japan will again be another tough match but if the boys stick together and work hard then we should be able to get a good result from it.”
While his mind is no doubt on the next couple of matches on the park, Brillante knows his other call to fame, his beard, has gained him a fair amount of notice.
“All the attention around it has been pretty cool. I never thought there would be so many people asking about it.
“Everyone asks me if I am going to keep it or get rid of it and I-m not sure. Sometimes I want to shave it off and then I think I want to keep it.”