![\"Vince](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4c384ba1d5167f701ee861d4745545e2fa6211b6.png\")
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March 25, 2026 \u2014 3:30pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Ante Suto has always felt Australian, in his head and his heart.<\/p>\n Growing up in Croatia, in a small village of 2000 people, that\u2019s what set him apart: his childhood friends called him \u201ckangaroo\u201d and would teasingly refer to him as Anthony, the anglicised version of his legal name.<\/p>\n But until this week \u2013 his first camp with the Socceroos \u2013 he\u2019d never even set foot on Australian soil.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I can say is it\u2019s much more beautiful than in Scotland \u2013 much better weather,\u201d he said, in a thick-ish Croatian accent. \u201cI\u2019m happy to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n Scotland is where Suto, a 25-year-old centre forward, plays his club football for Hibernian \u2013 and his form there, with three goals and an assist from seven games since his transfer last month, suddenly has him in the frame to become a Socceroo and, quite possibly, play at the World Cup.<\/p>\n Suto\u2019s father, Anthony \u2013 that\u2019s his legal name \u2013 was born in Melbourne to a Croatian family. A former footballer himself, albeit at lower levels, he studied there, worked there, became a fan of the Melbourne Knights in the old NSL, and only moved back after falling in love with a woman (Ante\u2019s mum) on holiday in Croatia. He\u2019s not returned to Australia since.<\/p>\n But because of that heritage, Suto has always known he was eligible to play for the Socceroos, and was hoping it would happen one day.<\/p>\n That day has arrived, much earlier than he had anticipated.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always been Australian in my head,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd to be here, I didn\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be happening this quickly, because one month ago, I was in Croatia playing football. Two years ago, I was in the second division. So yeah, this is an unbelievable feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so excited to be here because \u2026 I decided to be here with my heart, and I\u2019m going to be playing for the Socceroos with my heart. It\u2019s special for me because a lot of Australian legends have heritage in Croatia. Hopefully I\u2019ll be another one like them.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, Suto knows his history. He has great memories of watching the Socceroos play at the World Cup as a kid \u2013 although he does concede that, when they met in 2006, he was supporting Croatia, not Australia. But he was only six, so we can probably forgive him.<\/p>\n A couple of those Australian-Croatian legends he once idolised are now his bosses.<\/p>\n Coach Tony Popovic, intrigued by his performances for Croatian top-flight side Slaven Belupo<\/a>, was arranging to watch him in person. Then, a few days later, Suto was sold to Hibs for a reported $850,000 transfer fee.<\/p>\n \u201cUnlucky for that,\u201d Suto said.<\/p>\n So Suto had to settle for a visit from former Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak, Popovic\u2019s newly appointed assistant<\/a>, who came to Edinburgh to have dinner with him and speak about the possibility of a call-up for this March window \u2013 the last before the team assembles in the United States before the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cI was starstruck at first, because he\u2019s a big legend here,\u201d Suto said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were not just talking about football, we were talking about everything. He\u2019s a chill guy, relaxed, and I was so happy to be with him, to spend some time with him. And yeah, he told me some things.\u201d<\/p>\n When he was officially named in Popovic\u2019s 26-man squad, it\u2019s difficult to know who was happier: Suto or his old man.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was crazy about it,\u201d Suto said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t sleep too much.<\/p>\n \u201cI know how excited he is and how happy he is. I was on a video call with him the day that happened. He couldn\u2019t hide his smile \u2026 [despite] the time difference in Croatia \u2013 but he\u2019s awake all the time, just asking questions, wants to hear from me. They are super excited, my whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n Strange as it is, Suto\u2019s story is not unprecedented. Scottish-born Martin Boyle and Harry Souttar both visited Australia for the first time on international duty with the Socceroos – as did Fran Karacic, another Croatian with Aussie heritage.<\/p>\n Deni Juric, on the other hand, was born in Sydney but hasn\u2019t been home in about 12 years \u2013 not since his older brother, Tomi, played for Western Sydney Wanderers.<\/p>\n Like Suto, he is in line for what would be his first cap for Australia. And for him, the opportunity would have just as much meaning. Tomi was capped 41 times, went to the 2018 World Cup with the Socceroos and, most famously, set up the goal scored by James Troisi that won them the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was always a privilege to watch him put on that jersey,\u201d Deni said.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time he put it on it was like I was wearing the jersey. Obviously, it\u2019s been a dream for him and myself to play for the Socceroos \u2013 and just to see him playing for them is a privilege for me, just to say my brother was able to play for the Socceroos.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ante](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/55bfe5cbf56e390c64901f65182d5a58084a05432ce7faf7a077edfa04d9ae73.jpeg\")
Ante Suto at Socceroos training at Leichhardt Oval.Danny Mazzarella\/Football Australia<\/p>\n![\"Tony](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/648f31770be4484c9eaa59aaa5adbb10018cf875853b94546c87020e2a0ce446.jpeg\")
Tony Popovic with Mile Jedinak and Paul Okon, his assistant coaches, at Socceroos training in Sydney on Tuesday.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Hibernian\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/94e410d52ac64c93c180195978b396667bb37133.jpeg\")
Hibernian\u2019s Ante Suto is in line to earn his first Socceroos cap.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Deni](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c4c33ecfb48543746e7947837940f990d71d5ca0888526640f2721dd8b4e2295.jpeg\")
Deni Juric celebrates a goal for Wisla Plock.Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0da5f7f0663160f2561f6f6d2524bbcc46fbc727a1369462003c3ea6eb5d87b.jpeg\")
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