How Harry Souttar became Australia’s World Cup icon after his Scotland’s ambition was snubbed?

Harry Souttar, Australia's World Cup hero, famously stated that his ultimate goal in football was to play for Scotland...five years before he became an Australian icon. The former Dundee United defender has received widespread acclaim for his enormous efforts at the centre of defence for the Socceroos. He achieved a shock qualification into the World Cup's Last 16 shortly after battling a catastrophic knee injury.

Souttar, 24, formerly played for Scotland Under 17s and 19s and was a member of Ricky Sbragia's side that competed in the Euro Elite Round Under 19s qualifications in the Czech Republic in 2017, six months after moving from Tannadice to Stoke City. And the Aberdonian stated his ambition is to play alongside his brother John, who has six caps for Scotland.

He stated that playing for Scotland has always been his most significant goal. Harry Souttar hoped that maybe one day he'll accompany John at the heart of Scotland's defence, but that's a long way off. His goal is to establish himself in English football and see what happens.



Two years later, he accepted a call to Australia's Olympic qualification squad for a training camp in Malaysia and qualifiers in Cambodia. From there, he formally switched international allegiances and made his Australia debut in a 5-0 World Cup qualification triumph against Nepal.

He then justified his decision by stating that he had met with representatives from Australia because he was not being called up from Scotland. He was often told that he snubbed my country, but he was never called up for any age group.

FAQ:

1. Who is Harry Souttar?
   Harry James Souttar is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City in the EFL Championship and has represented Australia internationally since 2019.
2. What is Stoke City well-known for?
   Stoke City is the world's oldest professional Football League club, and what a story.