The Socceroos squad for January’s Asian Cup features AEK Athens' Burns and a number of other rising stars such as Robbie Kruse and Neil Kilkenny.

However speaking from Switzerland today, the German coach said he’d dropped Burns for the October friendly with Paraguay after initially calling him for August's friendly with Slovenia becaue he wasn’t convinced that Burns and other young players were as good as they were made out to be.

But Osieck felt Burns had proved himself at club level and has since shown that he's good enough for a national team recall.

“He’s a regular starter with a top team in Greece. I had him in the squad [last August] but I dropped him because I wasn’t too convinced,” Osieck said.

“But obviously he got the message and he really made his way into the team and he’s a regular starter now so why not call him in.”

At AEK Burns, 21, has been a revelation in recent months after last season’s loan spell in the Greek Second Division with Corfu. He backed that up with a stellar showing back home in Sydney last July during the Sydney Festival of Football where he scored against Glasgow Rangers.

Osieck stressed that sometimes young players are made out to be stars before they've really developed.

“My point simply is that there is a lot of talent, a lot of good young players but they are made heroes already before they’ve made their own way into the top squad," said Osieck.

“Sometimes their attitude is not what I’d like to see. But in order to make it, talent is not enough. It’s really about commitment and the right approach and first of all you have to show in your club that you make it there and you’re a regular starter.

“And obviously that happened with Nathan. And I got very good reports about him. It’s a good situation for him ... I’m pretty sure he’ll deliver.”

Meanwhile, Socceroo midfield enforcer Vinnie Grella is still in the German’s future plans. Osieck said he’d gone to Blackburn recently to chat with Grella and left with a positive view of the injured Rover. 

After the last World Cup, Grella made public comments about wanting to rest from the national team. 

But Osieck added: “Vince is not fit right now, but he will definitely will commit for the future.

"He seemed to be very keen on getting back to the team.”