Williams, 28, was on Wednesday named in Australia’s extended 30-man squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and UAE, for the first time since coach Ange Postecoglou’s first game in charge in November 2013.

The 14-time Socceroo suffered successive long-term Achilles injuries at the start of both 2014 and 2015 while with Middlesbrough, leaving his career at the crossroads.

Williams left Boro at the end of last season after a failed loan spell at Charlton, returning to his hometown club Perth Glory where he’s returned to fitness and won a shock recall.

“I thought it was all over with my second Achilles,” Williams said.

“To come back home, this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to come home, prove my fitness, play regular and see where it takes me.

“Luckily I’ve got this call and I don’t want to disappoint now.”

Williams added: “I’m pretty stoked to be honest. It was a surprise, I’m not going to lie.

“I feel like I’ve come a long way since my injuries. My last game was Ange’s first game. I’ve got a lot of ground to make up on.”

Postecoglou said during Wednesday’s press conference that one of the reasons he recalled Williams was he felt he suited his style of play.

Williams agreed based on one-off taste under Postecoglou against Costa Rica in 2013, although he admitted he wasn’t sure why he’d been reinstated.

“He’s one of the best managers I’ve been with in the way he tries to play football, which suits me down to the ground,” Williams said.

“It was great. I was really looking forward to his reign. He’s done great with the boys, with the Asian Cup, it’s been hard to watch to miss out.”

On his recall, Williams added: “I don’t know (why) to be honest. The last few games I’ve done okay with help from the boys. He might want to have a look at me again.”

The recall also comes in light of Williams being frozen out at Glory during January.

“It was a bit strange,” he said. “Obviously it was well documented, me being left out.

“We’ve put that behind us now. These boys have been great, they’ve helped me along.

“I’m just stoked, it’s a proud moment to be back involved. I do feel surprised, as there’s a lot of players who probably deserve it as well.”