While Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho predicted Australia to finish second in Group C and qualify for the knockout stages not everyone shares the uber-manager’s confidence.

When Australia was grouped with France, Denmark and Peru for the 2018 World Cup many of their countries media saw the Socceroos as the weak link of Group C.

But Schwarzer, who is the Socceroos record appearance holder and was part of the Germany 2006 team that advanced to the knockout stages believes Australia will revel as the underdog.

“We have a chance because people are going to write us off,” he speaking to FourFourTwo.

“People are going to say that we don’t have the big-name players anymore, the players that are playing week in and week out at the highest level so there is an unknown quantity in that side.

“So hopefully they underestimate us and hopefully we deliver and exceed expectations and do well.”

Running the rule of Australia’s opponents in Russia, Schwarzer initial thoughts about the Socceroos group was one of reserved optimism.

“I was quietly confident and quite excited about it,” he said.

“It’s a group that contains France who are obviously a top squad of players and have a top team.

“But a lot of the players individually are not playing particularly well, not all of them had a very good season for their clubs.

“With Peru it’s an unknown but what I saw of them against New Zealand it gave me a bit more confidence for Australia.

“We all know that Denmark have a fantastic player in Christian Eriksen who week in week out delivers for Spurs and is a top-class player.

“So hopefully he doesn’t deliver too much for them at the World Cup.”

With Australia kicking off their World Cup campaign on Saturday, June 16, Schwarzer said the Socceroos should embrace the chance to make themselves a hero.

“This World Cup is an opportunity for them to perform on the world stage and to really put their name out there,” he said.

“They have a chance to show people that they are able to deliver at that level of football. It can be career changing for these guys, so, there is an added incentive to do really well.”

During his club career Schwarzer played in the Champions League semi-final for Chelsea and won the League Cup for Middlesbrough but he says the World Cup is something else.

“It is an amazing experience to play in a European final and European competitions,” he said.

“But the World Cup is the signature, it’s a prestigious tournament and it’s an amazing experience.

“Those who have been there will have a different experience this time round because of the expectation and the one’s that haven’t been there will have to find their feet very, very quickly.

“Sometimes it’s actually a good thing to not have that experience, to go in there as a bit of an unknown and maybe a bit naivety and will get them through it.”