Evergreen Jackson Irvine has big plans for the coming weeks, and not just with FC St. Pauli. He also wants to qualify for the World Cup with Australia.
Hamburg – Exciting but also exhausting weeks await him! St. Paul midfield player Jackson Irvine (29) faces two Herculean tasks.
Jackson Irvine (29, left) wants to aim high with FC St. Pauli this season. © Christian Charisius/dpa
On the one hand, the 29-year-old is fighting with the Kiezkicker for promotion to the 1st Bundesliga, on the other hand, he wants to qualify with the Australian national team for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
“It’s an incredible time right now,” admitted Irvine, who added with a view to St. Pauli, “we know it’s a great opportunity and we’re looking forward to the coming weeks.”
Because they have it all. In the five remaining home games, there are four times against the direct competition – and that in front of a full house. This was last the case on March 1, 2020 in the 3-1 win over VfL Osnabrück.
FC St. Pauli starts the home festival weeks against 1. FC Heidenheim
“The fans can play a big role,” said the Australian. “They can make the difference. A full stadium can give us an extra boost.”
Irvine assumed that he and his team still had to win a handful of games in order to be able to fulfill their big dream of the Bundesliga.
The 29-year-old is still fighting for the World Cup ticket with Australia. © Shuji Kajiyama/AP/dpa
But that’s still in the future. After the game against Heidenheim, the 29-year-old will go to the national team. For Socceroos the two crucial games against Japan and Saudi Arabia are coming up. “We have to win both games to qualify straight away,” said the Melbourne native.
While he is already permanently in action on the six for Australia, he is increasingly being used there at St. Pauli. “I’m trying to help the team as much as I can,” said Irvine, who said he doesn’t care what position he’s playing.
Despite the many flight kilometers and travel hardships, the right-footed player didn’t want to know about the impending fatigue. “Never,” he clarified. He’s known this for years and had a 46-game season at one of his previous stints in the Championship.
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But soon he will probably inevitably have to take a break. Irvine is one of the five Kiezkickers who have four yellow cards and are threatened with suspension. Then at the latest the 29-year-old can at least take a breather for a moment during the exciting weeks.