Thompson and fellow Fox Sports pundit, Mark Bosnich, both gave the thumbs up to the pragmatic Dutchman to lead the national team at Russia 2018.

Van Marwijk, who took the Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, knows Australia well having faced them in qualification for the 2018 tournament as boss of Saudi Arabia.

He takes the reins from Ange Postecoglou – revered for his attacking philosophy - who quit the post after qualifying the Socceroos through an inter-continental play off with Honduras.

“Look I’ve got to give praise to Ange for trying to play the style of football that he wanted to play,” Thompson said on Fox Sports. “But did he have the players to do it? No I don’t think so.

“Obviously with Bert coming in here will know exactly what players he has in his team and what they can actually do. If anything I think this is going to revitalise the Socceroos team.

“I think of my time when Hiddink came in, that’s when Frank Farina left, a lot of players when Frank Farina was there… were comfortable.

“Hiddink came in, changed the whole dynamics, the atmosphere, everyone got a clean slate.

“Now with theplayers, what was it, 60 odd players Ange used during qualification some of these fringe players who thought they weren’t going to get an opportunity, now they do.

“If anything it’s going to add a little spice to the training sessions, lift the tempo, and we’re going to see, I think, a better Socceroos when it comes to the World Cup.”

Saudi Arabia celebrate World Cup qualification

Bosnich suggested talk about Postecoglou's attacking philosophy was overblown.

“I think it’s also important to remember, especially in the last 12 months, can you remember a time when the Socceroos played some type of entertaining, effervescent way? I can’t.," the former Socceroo said.

“Two qualifying games, away to Syria and away to Honduras, we played five at the back. We had two wingbacks, you can call them wingbacks if you want to, but their first job was to defend. Ange adapted when he had to.

“Everyone goes on about his attacking philosophy … for quite some time I didn’t see it on the pitch. Whether or not that was his instructions we don’t know because we weren’t behind the closed doors.”

Van Marwijk's previous World Cup exploits aside, Bosnich also pointed to his most recent exploits in the AFC qualifiers.

“The biggest evidence for me was that he took Saudi Arabia, who are an average team,  to an automatic qualification spot.”