As a 21-year-old who had enjoyed a breakout A-League season with Melbourne Victory, the winger missed out on selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Then, in 2014 having broken into the national team set up and establishing himself as a key cog in the attack, a cruciate ligament injury meant he missed the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Now, in 2018, the 29-year-old feels like it’s his time to shine and that the new system implemented by head coach Bert van Marwijk suits his game style perfectly.

“I’ve had to overcome a lot of mental barriers through my rehab with a lot of serious injuries,” said Kruse, who has 63 caps to his name.

“I’m really close now so it’s a little bit surreal but a lot of hard work has been put in and I’m just really excited to get there and hopefully contribute to the team.”

Van Marwijk was appointed to take charge of the Australia team in late January and van Bommel – who is married to the head coach’s daughter – joined the ex-Netherlands coach when he was appointed to replace Ange Postecoglou in late January.

It is a role the former Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven midfielder has filled throughout van Marwijk’s coaching career and Verbeek feels the inclusion of the two-time Bundesliga winner will play a major role in shaping the team for their Group C games against France, Peru and Denmark.

Van Marwijk’s final 23-player selection features three players from the A-League – Daniel Arzani, Dimitri Petratos, and Josh Risdon – as well as two players who have now gained selection for Australia in four consecutive FIFA World Cup squads – Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan (pictured below).

Over the past fortnight 27 players demonstrated their commitment to the Australian national football team by participating in an intense training camp in Antalya, Turkey.

This work culminated in a solid 4-0 international friendly win over Czech Republic in St. Polten, Austria on Friday.

Coach Bert van Marwijk got his first win as boss as the Aussies ran out 4-0 winners at St Polten’s NV Arena on Friday.

A brace to Mathew Leckie, Andrew Nabbout’s first international goal and a late own goal were enough in what will be a massive confidence boost with the opening Group C game against France now just two weeks away.

After an intense 12 days in camp in Turkey, working hard on their structure in gruelling double sessions, Behich is adamant the team are seeing signs that their hard work is paying off.

Australia first attempted to qualify for the FIFA World Cup ahead of England 1966, but fell to DPR Korea, losing 9-2 on aggregate. They came much closer to qualifying for the following tournament, but fell at the final hurdle, before finally making their debut in 1974. the-AFC.com looks back at the Socceroos' greatest World Cup moments.

For football fans around the globe, a team’s kit often serves as an everlasting visual representation of certain memories. Nowhere is this truer than in the FIFA World Cup, where the four-year gap means kits usually change from one edition of the competition to the next.

Some kits have been immortalised due to their unique designs, while others remain forever associated with the team’s success. 

Here are five unforgettable kits from the Continent’s representatives in this year’s World Cup. View them below and then pick your favourite .

The FIFA World Cup is without a doubt the grandest stage in world football, and it comes as no surprise that a strong showing at just one tournament could massively shape a player's career in the years to come. As such, here are a number of players that could possibly propel themselves into the spotlight when the tournament kicks off in just over two weeks' time.