Despite not featuring in A-League finals this season, Newcastle Jets playmaker Dimi Petratos has put himself back in the Socceroos frame for the 2022 World Cup after earning a recall from national coach Graham Arnold.
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With several key players rested, including green and gold regulars Mark Milligan, Mat Ryan, Aaron Mooy, Mat Leckie and Trent Sainsbury, Petratos was given another chance on Thursday when named in Australia's 23-man squad to meet South Korea in Busan on June 7.
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Petratos hasn't been picked since Arnold took over the Socceroos and missed this year's Asian Cup having debuted in 2018 and having been part of Australia's most recent World Cup campaign in Russia under former mentor Bert van Marwijk.
The 26-year-old, who has now notched up 53 appearances for the Jets and 177 in the A-League overall, is one of 11 players from the domestic competition to score a spot for next month's international friendly.
"There's players that have performed great for this country over a number of years and I know what they can do," Arnold said.
"This is an opportunity to create some depth going into a World Cup qualification cycle campaign, which has shown in the past that it's tough. To give players who have performed well in the A-League this year an opportunity to come back and show me what they can give is the whole reason this game has been put on."
Petratos scored six goals in 2018-19 and had five assists. He led the league in attempted shots (99) and shot assists (72).
The Jets acknowledged Petratos on Thursday via social media: "Our number 7 is back in the green and gold, picked by Graham Arnold in the 23-man squad to take on Korea Republic next month".
Three former Jets were also picked by Arnold - Adam Taggart, Josh Brillante and Craig Goodwin.
For the first time since Adam and Joel Griffiths in 2008, two brothers have been named in the same Socceroos squad with uncapped England-based winger Ryan Williams joining the recalled Rhys Williams.
Title winners Brandon O'Neill and Andrew Redmayne are among six debutantes. World Cup qualifiers start in September.
SOCCEROOS: Mitch Langerak, Andrew Redmayne, Lawrence Thomas, Thomas Deng, Rhyan Grant, Matthew Jurman, Brad Smith, Harry Souttar, Matthew Spiranovic, Rhys Williams, Bailey Wright, Mustafa Amini, Terry Antonis, Josh Brillante, Jimmy Jeggo, Brandon O'Neill, Ryan Williams, Brandon Borrello, Craig Goodwin, Chris Ikonomidis, Awer Mabil, Dimitri Petratos, Adam Taggart.
