Graham Arnold has declared selection for next year's Asian Cup is open slather as the Socceroos coach sets his sights on convincing a host of dual-eligible players to opt for Australia.
Football Australia announced on Thursday that the Socceroos will be given two homecoming games later this month against Ecuador.
The games - at Sydney's CommBank Stadium on Friday March 24 and Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Tuesday March 28 - are being billed as a celebration of Australia's best-ever World Cup finish last year.
The Socceroos won two group games for the first time, before being knocked out by eventual winners Argentina in the round of 16.
Arnold says he will reward the World Cup players but beyond the Ecuador games he will be prioritising next January's Asian Cup, at which - unlike last year's World Cup - Australia will be considered among the front-runners.
"The messaging is for the fans to come and celebrate what the boys did," Arnold said.
"But from day one when the boys come into camp, they will be told they're getting the first chance to get on that clean sheet of paper moving forward.
"Over the next three-and-a-half years it's about achieving something more special.
"I said right at the start of my campaign in 2018 - and I got laughed at - that we will be the greatest Socceroos team in history.
"That's going to be the main goal again. It's about achieving more than what we did in Qatar and starting again."
Ajdin Hrustic, Mathew Leckie and Martin Boyle are unlikely to feature in the Ecuador fixtures due to injury.
Arnold has said he will again be casting his net wide after successfully convincing Boyle, Harry Souttar and Jason Cummings to switch allegiances from Scotland to Australia.
The Socceroos boss says he and his support staff had been in contact with a list of players with dual nationality, headlined by Cristian Volpato.
The Roma wonderkid, who was born in Sydney, was offered a chance to go to the World Cup but chose not to as he weighed up declaring for Italy.
Parma defender Alessandro Circati, Manchester City playmaker Alex Robertson and Huddersfield goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic are also eligible for other nations.
"I think we will eventually get them across the line," Arnold said.
"It's about me communicating with those kids and making sure that they are making those decisions for the right reasons.
"They've obviously got to speak to their families to make sure that when they put on that Australian shirt, it matches (what's in) their heart."
Arnold has also been keeping an eye on a number of standout players during the current A-League Men season, reserving special praise for Adelaide's Nestory Irankunda.
But Arnold hinted it was best for Irankunda's development - and that of Melbourne City's Jordan Bos and Western Sydney midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof - to remain with the under-23s as they bid to qualify for next year's Olympics in Paris.
"Irankunda is doing fantastically and the kid just needs to keep performing," Arnold said.
"If they are going to be players that are on the bench, or might get 10 or 15 minutes - what's better for them? Do that, or go with the under-23s?
"I believe it's crucial and important that we qualify for the Olympics."
