Holland starlet Eljero Elia hopes this weekend's international friendly with Australia will provide him with a further opportunity to underline his burgeoning reputation on the international stage.
The Hamburg winger has broken into the senior Dutch side in recent months and hit the headlines when he bagged the winner in his side's 1-0 win over Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park last month.
His match-winning display came in only his second senior outing in an Oranje shirt, his debut coming just a few days earlier against Japan when, as a half-time substitute, he set up two goals in his side's 3-0 win.
With Holland and Australia already safely qualified for next summer's World Cup finals, Saturday's match in Sydney could be a dress rehearsal for a possible meeting in South Africa and 22-year-old Elia is determined to be part of the action.
"I feel proud, of course," Elia told Voetbal International.
"A debut with two assists and scoring the decisive goal in the next match against Scotland was fantastic.
"The World Cup in South Africa is another dream I would love to realise."
The likes of Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben have not made the trip Down Under with the rest of Bert van Marwijk's squad, which potentially paves the way for Elia to make his first senior start in the match against the Socceroos.
The player himself, however, is refusing to entertain such thoughts and is concentrating only on working hard.
"I assume nothing, I only hope," he said. "I have the training sessions to show that I deserve to get playing time.
"The coach will decide whether I start or come off the bench."
Elia added that his elevation to the ranks of full internationals has given his confidence a boost when playing for his club side.
"At Hamburg, most of the players there were internationals already, but I still had to be," he said.
"Now, I feel very happy that I am one of them. I'm not a little boy - I have played for the Oranje."
Elia's chances of featuring from the start this weekend were given a further boost today as three players were forced out of training.
Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt sat out the session with an ankle problem while Van Marwijk also has doubts over Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder (flu) and Celtic defender Glenn Loovens (calf).
His match-winning display came in only his second senior outing in an Oranje shirt, his debut coming just a few days earlier against Japan when, as a half-time substitute, he set up two goals in his side's 3-0 win.
With Holland and Australia already safely qualified for next summer's World Cup finals, Saturday's match in Sydney could be a dress rehearsal for a possible meeting in South Africa and 22-year-old Elia is determined to be part of the action.
"I feel proud, of course," Elia told Voetbal International.
"A debut with two assists and scoring the decisive goal in the next match against Scotland was fantastic.
"The World Cup in South Africa is another dream I would love to realise."
The likes of Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben have not made the trip Down Under with the rest of Bert van Marwijk's squad, which potentially paves the way for Elia to make his first senior start in the match against the Socceroos.
The player himself, however, is refusing to entertain such thoughts and is concentrating only on working hard.
"I assume nothing, I only hope," he said. "I have the training sessions to show that I deserve to get playing time.
"The coach will decide whether I start or come off the bench."
Elia added that his elevation to the ranks of full internationals has given his confidence a boost when playing for his club side.
"At Hamburg, most of the players there were internationals already, but I still had to be," he said.
"Now, I feel very happy that I am one of them. I'm not a little boy - I have played for the Oranje."
Elia's chances of featuring from the start this weekend were given a further boost today as three players were forced out of training.
Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt sat out the session with an ankle problem while Van Marwijk also has doubts over Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder (flu) and Celtic defender Glenn Loovens (calf).
Copyright (c) Press Association
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