After being selected in the Australian squad for next month's Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia, Sydney FC goalkeeper Clint Bolton is now eyeing the World Cup. The 31-year old, who will join incoming A-League club Melbourne Heart next season, was a surprise call-up to Pim Verbeek's squad for the March 3 match in Brisbane but now he is in there with a chance, he is doing his utmost to perform well in training and hopefully in the match in a week's time.
"I was not expecting this at all," said Bolton, who earned the last of his four Socceroos caps in August 2006.
"After the squad was announced for the last game against Kuwait, I didn't think it was a possibility for me to be selected again for Australia, so this is a huge surprise.
"I feel now that I am here, it's a good chance for me to push for a spot in South Africa."
Bolton has enjoyed a brilliant domestic season with the Sky Blues, leading from the back to help them clinch the Premiers' Plate over Melbourne Victory after spending a large portion of the second half of the 2008/09 season on the bench but he believes he is now a very good chance to win one of the three goalkeeping positions for South Africa.
"Maybe it's a rising of the phoenix ... I think two of the three keeping spots in the World Cup squad are wide open," he added.
"No keeper has really grabbed that opportunity to be Mark Schwarzer's deputy, and the fact that I'm Australian-based, I don't think that will work against me."
