Qantas Socceroos Head Coach Holger Osieck has described the selection of Melbourne Heart FC Michael Marrone for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier with Saudi Arabia as a reward for his recent form.
Qantas Socceroos Head Coach Holger Osieck has described the selection of Melbourne Heart FC Michael Marrone for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier with Saudi Arabia as a reward for his recent form.
Marrone, 25, was among a handful of locally based players selected for the February 28 qualifier at AAMI Park as Osieck showed his faith in the quality of the Hyundai A-League.
Osieck believes Marrone-s involvement in the national team camp will prove beneficial to his development, praising the South Australian-s performances this season, in particular, highlighting his success in one-on-one duels against the likes of Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.
“I thought he-s played a decent season so far, and I was impressed by the way he played at times against very popular players, good players, experienced players, and let-s say he did a good job although he is still lacking something,” he said.
“I want to reward him and give him another incentive to keep going, keep working hard and taste already what it-s like to be in that group.”
Having only last week become the first player in Melbourne Heart FC history to surpass the 50 game mark in Red and White colours, Marrone has certainly established himself as one of the Club-s leading lights.
And as the first player to earn senior international selection while playing for Heart, Marrone has once again confirmed his status as an early trailblazer for the Club.
Marrone recently penned a two-year contract extension, tying him to the Club until the end of the 2013/14 season, and will join his Qantas Socceroo team mates in camp following Sunday-s match against the Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park.
