DALLAS, Texas — After being unexpectedly tapped to captain the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup, Harry Souttar has been praised by Australian staff and players alike, with assistant coach Mile Jedinak noting the defender’s authenticity.
Entrusted with the armband after Mathew Ryan and Jackson Irvine were surprisingly benched for the Socceroos’ opening fixture against Türkiye, Souttar has proven a pillar of defensive strength and leadership since, putting in close to a best-on-ground performance against the Turks and among the side’s best against the United States and Paraguay.
Paying tribute to Ryan as the best captain he’d ever played under, Souttar declared that “it was the biggest honour of my career” ahead of the United States fixture and Jedinak, who skippered Australia 36 times, including at two World Cups and a triumphant AFC Asian Cup, has noted how naturally he’s taken to the role.
– Lynch: History-making moment awaits Socceroos or Pharaohs
– Socceroos under no illusions ahead of Egypt: ‘Eat or be eaten’
– Beats, laughs, banter: Inside Socceroos camp as they prepare for Egypt
“From my perspective, he’s just taken it all in his stride,” said Jedinak. “You’ve seen Harry grow throughout the tournament. He’s grown in the role, no doubt about that, and he’s staying true to who Harry Souttar is, and that’s what is important.
“He’s true to who he is, and in the brief time I’ve had to be able to work with him, you’re seeing Harry out there on the pitch in the same way you see him here in the meal room. It’s nice to see that growth, and I’m sure he’s feeling positive about that as well.”
Making the ascension of Souttar even more impressive is that he arrived at the World Cup off the back of just two competitive games of football, recovering just in time for the tournament following multiple Achilles tears in late 2024 and early 2025. It followed a similar pattern from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he recovered from an ACL injury just in time to feature (and star) for Graham Arnold’s side in their run to the knockouts.
Another knockout fixture looms on Friday, this time against Egypt and their attack led by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. And one of his running mates in the Socceroos back three, Alessandro Circati, is appreciative of Souttar’s efforts to get back.
“He’s done great,” Circati said. “It’s not easy to do what he did. He missed almost two years of football and came back, and he’s playing like he hasn’t missed any football. Hats off to him, with the hard work that he’s put in. It’s not easy. I passed a similar period, and he’s had to work on himself, and I’m sure he’s done that.
“We see it on the pitch, he’s done that very well, and obviously backing up with performances is the hardest thing, but he’s done exactly that.”
The tone of Ajdin Hrustić, for his part, notably changed when Souttar came up, with the attacker, who has also played under Jedinak and Ryan, effusive in his praise of the defender.
“If you see Harry, Harry is a leader; he’s got it in him,” said Hrustić. “He’s giving you something that other players don’t have… everyone brings something to that team, and he’s got something in him.
“He’s a natural leader. He might not be the loudest, but he steps up. I’m proud of him because he’s had two tough injuries, and he’s come back really strong. In his first camp, he shared a room with me, so we’ve got a special bond.
“He gives a speech [pre-game]. He’s not the loudest, but he’s there for us.”
Now, having said that, Hrustić isn’t a total fan of everything Souttar does as skipper — such as his attempts to share his country music favourite with the team.
“He did in the bus after the game,” Hrustić smiled. “No comment.”
