Young Socceroo was given his first taste of international football at the East Asian Cup.
Australia goalkeeper Mark Birighitti says he will seize any opportunity to displace Mark Schwarzer as number one after making his international debut.
The Newcastle Jets custodian was handed his first star for the Socceroos’ in their final East Asian Cup match against China, which ended in a 4-3 defeat, but saw the 22-year-old execute a number of important saves to keep his country in the game.
Birighitti now has ambitions of becoming a permanent fixture for his country but faces a battle with Eugene Galekovic, who he replaced on Sunday, and several others to fill Schwarzer’s gloves when he retires after the World Cup in Brazil next year.
“It’s always nice to be in the mix,” he told Football Australia.
“With my performance tonight, it’s definitely a good step. Mark Schwarzer’s a good goalkeeper. Even if he’s not playing, what he’s done for Australia is fantastic and there’s a lot of good goalkeepers out there.
“I’ve just got to bide my time, keep performing well and when I do get the opportunity to represent my country I’ll make sure I grab it with both hands.”
Head coach Holger Osieck’s decision to test the next generation of Socceroos at the tournament also saw Birighitti’s team-mate Josh Brillante make his bow at the at Jamsil Olympic Stadium along with Melbourne Victory midfielder Connor Pain.
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