Emerging striker Noah Botic could play for the Socceroos at a World Cup but shouldn’t rush to leave the A-League Men for an overseas move, says Western United coach John Aloisi.
Botic was the star of the show at Ironbark Fields on Friday evening, scoring a bullet header in the 37th minute then unleashing an extraordinary long-range bomb in the 54th in United’s 3-1 win over Newcastle.
The 23-year-old now has six goals and four assists this season.
“People might say that I’m being selfish because I’m coaching Western United, but I’d still love him to stay here a little bit longer,” Aloisi said.
“I think that if he stays here and has a really good end of the season and even a good season next year, if the Socceroos, which I believe they will, go to a World Cup, I think he’ll be in contention.
“If he goes early overseas, which when the opportunity does come, sometimes you can get lost in that period, and then he might not end up going to a World Cup.
“So I’m looking at both sides and then thinking, yes, it would be great for us, but also for Noah Botic, I still think that he still needs to improve his game and work on his game, and we’ll see more and more from him.
“He’s got six goals this season so far, and I know he can score a lot more.”
Botic pulled up sore with an apparent left groin injury and was substituted in the 64th minute, but he and Aloisi played the ailment down as cramp.
“Yeah, (it’s) good. To be honest, I think it’s just a bit of cramp, but I didn’t want to risk it any more,” Botic told Paramount Plus.
“I felt it as I was just pushing on, first couple of steps and I thought, ‘I just don’t want to risk it’.”
United have won six of their past seven matches and rise to third on the table – behind Melbourne City and Adelaide on goal difference – while the Jets sit 10th.
Western broke through when Abel Walatee brilliantly slipped through in-form midfielder Angus Thurgate, whose deflected cutback landed for Riku Danzaki to tap home at the back post.
United went two up when Ben Garuccio lifted a wonderful cross to the near post, where Botic steamed in and powered the ball into the roof of the net.
Walatee was substituted at half-time with hamstring tightness.
Botic gave United breathing space when he received the ball in midfield, burst forward and rifled it into the top corner.
Four minutes later, the Jets pulled back a goal when Will Dobson beat Garuccio to a long ball, then slipped through Lachie Rose to score.
