Jackson Irvine is doing everything he can to elevate his performance to lead the Australian national football team (Socceroos) to next year's World Cup. He is striving to improve his competitive level through methods such as blood tests and consolidate his position as a midfield core player under head coach Tony Popovic.
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03-23, 2025The 32-year-old veteran revealed before Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Indonesia in Sydney that he has begun to re-examine his football philosophy since Popovic took over as head coach last year. Irvine stated that Popovic has brought "new intensity and energy" to the Australian national team, creating a more competitive environment.
Since taking office, Popovic has completely revamped his backroom team and appointed renowned sports nutritionist Julie Meek as part of his support team. Now, players are required to adhere to stricter dietary standards, and Irvine has found Meek's advice to be extremely helpful, enabling him to play every minute of the German Bundesliga for St. Pauli.
"I've been working with Julie, we did some blood tests at my club to see the levels of certain metrics," Irvine said. "I'm trying to integrate things into my life and game to make myself better." He added, "In football, you can't stand still, there are always young players performing well, ready to join. I've been in this team for a long time, but if you want to continue to be a part of it, you have to be able to adapt, change, and improve."
Irvine also noted that dialogue between international training camps has increased since Popovic took office, as Popovic seeks to fine-tune the team's tactical knowledge. Popovic has used a three-back formation and inverting wingers in his four games in charge of the Australian national team to date, achieving a record of three draws and one win. Australia is currently ranked second in the group, holding the last direct qualification spot by just one point. Irvine stated, "This is another level of measures taken to continuously raise standards. It is important to ensure that when we enter the training camp, we don't spend a day or two getting back into shape, but are ready to go at any time."
While these changes may have shocked some Australian national team members, recalled defender Jason Davidson is very familiar with Popovic's methods. Davidson was a surprise inclusion in Popovic's squad announced last week for the qualifiers against Indonesia and away against China on March 25. The 33-year-old defender, who currently plays for Greek top-flight team Panserraikos, has been coached by Popovic at A-League teams Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory. Davidson said, "His attention to detail is something I've never had before. He wants discipline, and when your job is like this, your body is your tool, you need to maximize everything as much as possible. One percent improvement here, one percent there – it all adds up. Diet, sweets, sugar, sleep, anything – he's brought in experts in their respective fields – to make sure he can help the players."
