Arnold reveals why star must move, fear for 'homeless' Socceroos

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has given Harry Souttar an ultimatum about his club future, all but telling the towering defender he needs to leave Leicester City at the end of the season for the sake of his international career.

Souttar, 25, will again be one of the first names on Arnold’s team sheet on Thursday night when the Socceroos host Lebanon in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium.

It’s been a similar story ever since Arnold gave the Scotland-born Souttar his first Socceroos cap in 2019.

Standing at 200cm, the giant centre-back has been crucial to Australia’s cause in defence, as well as attack, having scored 11 goals in 27 appearances.

Such has been Souttar’s importance that Arnold, who is normally insistent that players must be used regularly by their club coaches to be selected for the Socceroos, has made exceptions for Souttar,

However, Arnold’s patience is wearing out, with Souttar having made just four appearances, and just two of them as a starter, for English second-tier outfit Leicester in all competitions this season.

“It’s his mindset … and he’s so important to the (Socceroos),” Arnold said on Wednesday.

“And with the size of him, he’s (one of our) leading goalscorers … and he’s a leader. In that (centre-back) position, he’s crucial in what we need.

“I know he’s going through a tough time at Leicester. I had a good chat with him today.

“He has to fix it. This can’t go on forever, but what we are doing probably at the moment is helping his career by giving him match minutes during these FIFA (international) windows and showing what he can do, but as a side to him today, this next transfer window is going to be really crucial for him.”

Arnold’s desire for Souttar to play regular first-team football came as he again pleaded for Australian football to be given more financial support by the government.

While grateful to the NSW Rugby League for allowing his team to train its centre of excellence fields this week, Arnold lamented the Socceroos not having somewhere to call home.

“I have great gratitude to the NSWRL for letting us train on their pitch, even if we had rugby league posts behind the soccer posts,” he said.

“The government loves helping the NRL and the AFL building these fantastic facilities … it’s frustrating because of my passion for the game and the pathways.”

“The boys fly all the way back from Europe where they have great training facilities – we don’t have any.”

Arnold said Football Australia headquarters constantly changing was also irritating.

“I’ve been involved for 30 years, with all these different offices. We need something where we have a museum and be proud of what Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka did to inspire kids, to have a home,” he said.

“If you don’t have a home, how do you have a culture? We are homeless.”

The Socceroos will be without winger Craig Goodwin on Thursday, with the star winger sidelined with a virus.

However, Arnold was confident in his side’s depth and urged his players to be bold in attack.

“What I want to see and expect to see is some positive things in the final third … and the boys going for it,” he said.

“That’s important for me. I feel in that middle third, we’re very good, then we get in the final third, and a lot of it’s down to the individual, and that’s what I expect.”