Socceroos Coach looks for Sterjovski game time

Socceroos Coach looks for Sterjovski game time

With the Australian international Mile Sterjovski not featuring in the Rams side this season he has been given a blunt message from Coach Pim Verbeek, that his failure to feature for Derby this season could cost him his spot in the Australian national side.

The Socceroos face Qatar in an Asian group qualifier in Brisbane next week and the Dutch, Australian Coach, Verbeek hopes he can get some much needed first team action for the Rams sooner rather than later.

Sterjovski has yet to make an appearance for the Rams and has made the substitutes’ bench only twice for the Carling Cup win at Preston, and Saturday`s 2-1 win at Norwich, and Verbeek is concerned by the 29-year-old’s lack of match action.

‘A little worried is an understatement,’ said Verbeek, who has named Sterjovski in the squad for qualifier against Qatar, along with Sheffield United midfielder David Carney, who is out of the first-team picture at Bramall Lane.
‘Sterjovski and Carney are not even in their club side at the moment which is a concern,’ said Verbeek.

‘They are in the Socceroos squad but I have to think seriously about what I am going to do with them in the future because if it keeps going on like this, then I will probably have to make, for them, very unpopular decisions.’

Sterjovski, who has won 37 caps for his country, was signed by Paul Jewell from Turkish club Genclerbirligi in January for an undisclosed fee.