Dare mention the name Josip Simunic to any plastered-on Socceroos fan and they'll no-doubt rugby tackle you in disgust, simultaneously recreating Simunic's drag-down of Mark Viduka in the 2006 World Cup. 

They'll probably go on to tell you that our hard-luck Socceroos have been losing talent to foreign nations since well before Simunic decided to join the Croats.

But while jaded Aussies like to look at what could have been, in truth, for every Christian Vieri lost there was a Tim Cahill gained. In fact, there's been quite a few more in the plus column, especially in recent years.

Graham Arnold's Socceroos squad against Kuwait featured a whopping six overseas-born players, from our Persian playmaker Daniel Arzani to Serbian stalwart Milos Degenek.

Now, heading into Australia's defence of the Asian Cup, the Socceroos' most exciting striker is suddenly a Scot, who'd never been to Australia until he faced South Korea last month.

Martin Boyle is actually the 18th Scottish-born footballer to represent the Socceroos. In return, we've given the Tartan Terriers one goalkeeper and he only won two caps.

Such is the flexible and pandering nature of nationality in modern football that we can now keep track of the Aussie footballing 'diaspora' in the hope that, should they ever show potential or crack the sh**ts with their national coaches, the Socceroos can knick another future talisman.

So without any more furtherado, here's the steal list:

1. Alex Robertson

If you don't know the name yet, you soon will.

The Manchester United-cum-Manchester City starlet is tipped to be the next big thing in English football. He also clearly isn't much of a patriot - he was born in Scotland, raised in Oz and has recently turned out for the England U/16s. 

Can we make it Scot number 19? Maybe get Boyle on the phone...

2. Fran Karacic

After Simunic, Ante Seric was the other high-profile 90's AIS graduate who chose Croatia over the Socceroos. While we've since scored Degenek off the Vatreni, that still leaves us one tough defender down.

Karacic, who plays for Croatia's in-demand feeder club, Lokomotiva NK, seems most likely to fill that slot. The 22-year-old - who was a regular prospect for the Croatian U/21s - would have already switched allegiances had Bert van Marwijk taken him to the World Cup.

He didn't, despite making the initial extended squad, but neither did Croatia, so the waiting game continues. The word from the Socceroos camp pre-World Cup was that Fran's limited English was an issue - but that's nothing a few after-hours classes can't fix.

3. James Percevski

We already lost one defender, current Newcastle Jet Daniel Georgievski, to 22 caps for the Macedonian national team. Current Fortuna Dusseldorf youngster, Jamie Percevski, gives us the opportunity to nick one back.

Percevski is one of two on this list that were actually born in Australia, but he was released by Western Sydney Wanderers. In hindsight, they may have been a little too soon to judge.

The 18-year-old is now a regular in a Bundesliga reserve side and a mainstay for the Macedonian U19s, so it may be worth the Joeys taking another look...

4. Patrick Ziegler

Two of the A-League's fiercest defenders over recent seasons - Ersan Gulum and Avraam Papadopoulos - were born in Melbourne but preferred stellar national careers for Turkey and Greece respectively. Perhaps it's time the A-League gave us one back.

Western Sydney Wanderers new recruit Patrick Ziegler has an Australian father and, despite a successful career at FC Kaiserslautern, has never registered a blip on die Mannschaft's radar. 

He came to the A-League after watching Thomas Broich's doco, Tom Meets Zizou and at 28-years-old, we've copped him at his defensive peak. Could there be another documentary in the making? 

5. Gethin Jones

A graduate of the presitigious Everton academy, Jones says he "feels more Welsh than Australian" but he seems more World Cup material than European Championships so maybe we can entice him to change his mind.

Currently plying his trade for Fleetwood Town, the 23-year-old has captained Wales at every level from U16 to U21 and has even been an unused sub for the Welsh national team. 

But the good news, or perhaps its bad, is that Jones hasn't been called up to any national squad in the last 12 months. Maybe the Perth-born youngster will come back Down Under.

6. Antonis Martis

Born on the picturesque coastal city of Lancarna, Cyprus, you could forgive Martis for being a tad patriotic. But clearly the unique aura of Bankstown, where he was raised and played for the Berries still holds a place in the 18-year-old's heart.

"I love both countries," he recently told FTBL's Con Stamocostas. "I think we should let the future decide how things will play out.” 

While he's already tightly knit with the Cypriot national team, another adopted Aussie star, Awer Mabil, may be able to offer some poignant advice given the Socceroos regular plays alongside Martis for Danish giants FC Midtjylland.

7. Kristian Trajceski

It takes a lot of guts to make it in Europe after being rejected in the A-League, but to reject an A-League offer yourself is a whole different ballpark.

Two years ago the attacking midfielder was awarded the NPL Player Pathways award, but rejected a contract with Sydney FC's youth team to pursue a European adventure.

Now playing in the Portugese lower divisions, the 20-year-old still hasn't hit the A-League heights, however that hasn't stopped Macedonia taking a keen interest. Trajceski made his Macedonian U21 debut in October and has already made three appearances, yet is still eligible for a Joeys' youth camp, should FFA take interest once again.

8. Haris Stamboulidis

Out of every Aussie on this list, it's safe to say Stamboulidis has paved the strangest journey to the heights of Greek football.

After he was dropped by Melbourne City's youth team, Stamboulidis made the unusual career decision to study economics in the U.S, at Ivy League Columbia University.

However, in between cramming maths Stamboulidis played college soccer and now he's the only footballer in history to move from the U.S college system to one of Europe's top 15 leagues. Even more impressive, he's now at Greek giants Aris Thessaloniki.

Topping it off by featuring for Greece's youth sides, given the utter implausibility of Stamboulidis's journey so far, a Socceroos cap is so weird it just might work. 

Credit to Damian Davies for his Aussies Abroad database