New midfield recruit, Cameron Devlin has been named as a train-on player for the Australian Olympic Squad which heads to Tokyo in July.
The Sydney born workhorse will be called upon if an existing member of the 18-man squad suffers an injury or is ruled out to other circumstances.
After an impressive 2020/21 campaign with the Wellington Phoenix, Devlin will link up with the Olyroos group ahead of the Games and be a candidate to come into the team.
The Olyroos is mostly made up of under-23 players, with a host of A-League talent being selected for the squad along with two senior players.
Coach Graham Arnold considers the Olyroo team that is heading for Tokyo can leave their mark on the Games and play with a positive mindset.
“My expectations are that we are going to shock the world and we are going to go out there, play on the front foot, we’re not going to go out there trying not to lose the game, we are going out there expecting to win the game and it doesn’t matter who we play,” Graham Arnold said.
“The players that have been selected they are all excited, they are all grateful for the opportunity and the chance. The strength of the Socceroos is the Olyroos and I do expect these kids to really step up.”
The Olyroos have been drawn in Group C with Egypt, Spain and Argentina, and will open their campaign on 22 July in Sapporo against the Argentinians.
“People might want to look at it as a ‘Group of Death’ but for me it is a ‘Group of Dreams’. It is what you dream about and you want to play these types of teams (Argentina, Spain, Egypt) and test yourself against the best in the world.” Graham Arnold said.
Former Jet, Ramy Najjarine has also been named as a train-on player for the Olyroos after showcasing his skills for the Jets throughout the 2020/21 A-League season.
Devlin and Najjarine add depth to the Olyroos midfield which has the likes of Riley McGree and Connor Metcalfe in the run-on squad.
