Like a dream The Socceroo proud to represent the country hes never been to

Fran Karacic has never been to Australia, barely spoke English until a few years ago andis still learning the words to the country’s anthem, but if he gets the chance to hear it bellow out at a stadium in Qatar at the World Cup while wearing a Socceroos jersey it would be “like a dream come true”.

Karacic was born and raised in Croatia. Until early 2018, he was widely regarded as a future stalwart of Croatia’s senior team. His development had all the hallmarks of a star in the making, wearing the famous Sahovnica checkers 38 times at youth level, one more than former World Player of the Year Luka Modric did.

However, when then Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic discovered Karacic held an Australian passport, Football Australia made a passionate bid for the fullback to switch allegiances. Despite the prospect of playing for the country of his birth, Karacic said the decision to making himself available for the country of his father’s birth was an easy one.

New generation: Croatian-born Fran Karacic impressed on debut against Kuwait. Credit:AP

“Imagine yourself in that position, somebody calls you to play in the World Cup,” he said. “It was my wish. Once I made a decision to play for Australia, it was over. Maybe I could play for Croatia, but my wish was to play for Australia from the first time.”

While Australia was a place Karacic had only read about and heard stories of, it was a place he would romanticise. His grandfather emigrated there in the early 1970s. His father was born and raised in Sydney before relocating with his family to Croatia when he was 10 years old. His family would often tell Fran that Australia was “like a promised country”. It gave him pride in his second passport and a longing for a second home he had never visited.

“They told me everything is beautiful in Australia â€" the life, the people. It’s a different part of the world and different people to Europe. When I met the people in the national team, I understand what they were talking about. Everyone is kind,” he said.

Fran Karacic during his first camp with the Socceroos in 2018.Credit:Football Federation Australia

Despite his progress through Croatia’s youth teams, it was the Socceroos who were the quickest to offer him senior international football, and the opportunity to play in a World Cup representing Australia was one Karacic couldn’t refuse.

Unfortunately for him, it was a chance he would have to wait for after failing to make the final cut for the 23-man squad for Russia 2018, but he remained undeterred in his dream to play for the Socceroos.

In the two years that followed, it was his club career that blossomed. He earned a move from famed development club Lokomotiva Zagreb to the city’s powerhouse, Dinamo, before being picked up by Italian club, Brescia, where he is coached by Italian legend Filippo Inzaghi.

His club form caught the eye of Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who reached out to Karacic in June, and he was eager to be recalled and make a debut that would cement his future with Australia.

“They asked me if I had a wish to play for Australia. I told them, ‘yes, for sure, a hundred per cent.’ They invited me in for the camp in June and this is how it is,” he said.

Karacic’s transition to the Australian set-up has been relatively seamless since his making his debut in qualifying series in Kuwait.

He has played four times in the green and gold and is in line to make a fifth away to Japan on Tuesday night. His selection coincides with the Socceroos’ scintillating run in which they have become the first team to win 11 successive World Cup qualifying games in the same campaign.

That run has given them confidence of claiming a rare win over rivals Japan, who are in a rare form slump, and stay on top of their qualifying table and on the path for a direct passage to Qatar 2022.

By then Karacic hopes to have visited Australia â€" especially if it’s to play a qualifier at home â€" so he can see the country he’s grown to love despite never seeing.

“It doesn’t matter I haven’t been there, I have a connection and I am proud when I am wearing the Australian shirt,” he said. “I would like us to qualify for the World Cup, so I can wear the Australian jersey at a World Cup. It is like a dream for me.”

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