Mat Ryan wants Alessandro Circati to feel comfortable as he prepares to make his Socceroos debut against Argentina.
But there’s another reason the Australian captain and goalkeeper is keen to pick the 19-year-old central defender’s brains.
Circati plays for Parma in Serie B and has twice run on for Italy’s under-20 team.
But his addition to Graham Arnold’s squad for Thursday’s one-off clash in Beijing comes after the Perth-raised talent called the coach earlier this year to confirm his allegiance.
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Parma has also welcomed home goalkeeping great Gianluigi Buffon, the 45-year-old back at the club that launched his career in 1995.
“He’s playing with arguably the best goalkeeper to ever play our game,” Ryan said of Circati on Sunday from Beijing.
“I’m keen to pick his brain about that to see if I can get any insight into Buffon as well.”
The pair have only spoken briefly since arriving in camp in the Chinese capital, but Ryan promised that the teenager would be given every chance to flourish in green and gold ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar in January-February.
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“He’s going to have the willingness to settle in as fast as he can and we’ve got the willingness to want to bring him into the environment and make him feel as comfortable as possible so he can play his best football for us and help make us stronger,” Ryan said.
“I’m sure the more experience and more time he gets with us, the better it’s going to be for him to establish relationships.
“Fingers crossed he can knuckle down as well and make the most of his opportunity of being here.
“The responsibility is on him to do well, give Arnie a reason to pick him, and keep picking him down the track.”
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Lionel Messi scored in Argentina’s tense 2-1 round-of-16 defeat of Australia at last year’s World Cup, his side going on to lift the trophy.
Ryan is keen to lock horns with Messi again but says he won’t be treating the superstar Argentinian differently.
“It’s the greatest job in the world,” he said.
“I go out there and treat every opposition the same, not giving an identity to an opposition.
“Just implement all I’ve learned to go out there and help our nation do the best that it can.”
-AAP
