Return home points North in right direction for Socceroos - Sydney Morning Herald

There was a time when Jade North scurried from one international league to the other in a desperate bid to keep his chances of playing for Australia alive.

After a decade of playing in Australia, where he was a highly regarded member of teams in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Newcastle, North then took contracts in South Korea and Norway, followed by a fleeting deal with Wellington Phoenix before returning overseas to Japan, taking up stints with FC Tokyo and Consadole Sapporo.

Overall, North has played for 10 clubs since 2001. It's fair to say the 31-year-old hasn't replicated the stability he found during his four years with the Newcastle Jets. However, having signed a deal with Brisbane Roar until 2016, North looks to have accepted his backpacking days are over. But he does so happily - because the A-League is no longer being overlooked by the national coach.

''It would have been great to stay in Japan but I had a great opportunity to work with indigenous kids with the FFA as a future career path, so I couldn't refuse it,'' he said. ''I came back, had to re-establish myself and then put my hand up for selection and it's come quicker than I expected.

''Now it's great to be in the mix of things with the national team. I've been playing well for Brisbane as well and Holger [Osieck] has seen potential in how I've been playing, so my job is to get myself right to play on Tuesday.''

With Osieck's top three central defenders - Lucas Neill, Matthew Spiranovic and Sasa Ognenovski - all sidelined, others have an opportunity to press their claims.

''Lucas isn't here, Matthew Spiranovic isn't here as well, so it opens up the door for a few of the defensive positions,'' he said. ''Holger keeps his cards close to his chest and keeps us on our toes. It will be pretty hard to know what the line-up will be right up until the game, I suppose. I'm always confident [of starting] when I come into camp, but it stops with the boss and it's his call.''

On North's side is his versatility. He can play anywhere across the back four, which is something Osieck appreciates.

Meanwhile, in A-League news, Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Iacopo La Rocca is out for the rest of the season after being suspended for four matches by the match review panel.