DEPARTING Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek is urging Australia's senior players to help bring on the next generation of stars and shelve any post World Cup retirement plans.
To see inside the Socceroos' World Cup HQ...
While there is speculation that several players will call it a day once the tournament is over, the coach hopes it won't be a plethora of retirements.
He insists that senior figures need to remain in the team to help bring on the Socceroos to replace them.
"Future-wise, you have to rebuild the team, but you have four years to go (until the next World Cup)," Verbeek told News Ltd.
"The only thing that we should avoid is for all our experienced players to leave. For younger, talented players, it's very important that there are always a few experienced players in the team.
"Hopefully, not everybody will finish, and a few of them will say, 'we will help the young boys and prepare them for the next step of their career', and as far as I know, I haven't heard one player say that he will stop after the World Cup."
Verbeek will move on to a new challenge in African football at the conclusion of the tournament.
To see inside the Socceroos' World Cup HQ...
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