Emerging talent wants to fill Socceroo's big shoes

Perth Now

24-05-2025

When a foot injury cruelly ended Jackson Irvine's season for club and country, it sent a shock wave through Australian football.
It also pricked up the ears of every midfielder jostling for a Socceroos berth.
NAC Breda midfielder Max Balard knows there is an opportunity open in midfield for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Called up to Tony Popovic's training camp in Abu Dhabi, he is determined to take it.
"Jacko has been immense for the national team for many years now and to see him go down was unfortunate, for sure, because you never want to see any players go down," Balard said.
"You want our country to have our best players ready to play and he's been incredible.
"I definitely understand that there's an opportunity, and I'm working hard every day to make sure that I put my best foot forward and show what I can do to the coaches.
"I'm really, really excited for this opportunity. Who knows what can happen? Of course, football is a crazy sport, but I'm doing my best out here and just making sure that I'm working hard and fit to go."
Balard, a different profile of defensive midfielder to Irvine, has taken on feedback from his first call-up last year, when he was in camp for two games, but didn't take the field.
"It's really made me much more comfortable this second camp," he said.
"I'm really looking forward to showing that I am a player that deserves to be here and I'm ready to play."
Former Central Coast Mariners star Balard has become a fixture at NAC Breda, and is learning Dutch while playing in the Eredivisie.
"The speed of the game in the Netherlands is a lot quicker than what I had experienced in Australia, and thankfully, I was at a club where they gave me my opportunity to play," he said.
"It's just helped me improve my game even more both physically and technically."
Balard plays against Dutch internationals every week and is determined to keep taking his game up a gear in Europe.
"Previously, there were only a few Australian players playing in Europe, and nowadays, you see, pretty much every transfer window there's another Australian player heading overseas," he said.
"There's an abundance of midfielders that are ready to play in Europe.
"It just goes to show how hungry the Australian football players are, and how much the sport has grown at grassroots level as well to improve technically at such a level.
"I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, but I know as well I've got to stay sharp and keep improving myself, because there's plenty of other players that are knocking at the door as well.
"So I'm focusing on myself, making sure I can reach the highest level."