Carl Valeri still believes he is good enough to play for the Australian national team.
The 29-year old midfielder left Italian Serie A club Sassuolo for second division Ternana earlier this month in a bid to gain regular first team football ahead of the World Cup which kicks off in June.
Valeri, who has played for the Socceroos on 50 occasions, is aware he has made a step down but is determined to get back to playing consistently in order to force his way into Ange Postecoglou's plans for Brazil 2014.
"I have not given up on the World Cup," Valeri told SBS.
"Apart from the obvious reason that I need to play regularly to retain any chance of going to the World Cup, there were other reasons I left.
"The club told me that they wanted to buy more midfielders in a bid to stay up and they let me know that they were happy for me to stay because I'd like to think that they appreciated my commitment and loyalty to the club."
Valeri added: "I spent almost my whole career in Italy in Serie B and I went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a second division player so I don't think this will come into the equation.
"I don't want to be known as someone who is always on the recovery trail but a player who actually plays.
"Who knows what might be around the corner. I am only 29.
"Okay Serie B is not the best league in Europe, it is Italy's second division after all.
"But I can assure you it's a decent standard and I've got high hopes that Ternana, which are roughly in the middle of the table, will finish up well because we are a good side."
