Keanu Baccus just can’t stop breaking records. First he became the first St Mirren player to ever be named in a country’s squad for the World Cup.
Then he was the first St Mirren player to ever play at a World Cup when he made his debut on the biggest stage in football against current world champions France.
And now he’s the first ever St Mirren player to reach the latter stages of the World Cup after helping Australia hold their nerve to beat Denmark and set up a mouth-watering last 16 clash with Lionel Messi ’s Argentina.
And let’s be clear, Baccus hasn’t just been along to make up the numbers. The battling 24-year-old has played a big part for the Socceroos as they upset the odds to make it into the next round at the expense of the Danes.
After helping the Aussies pick up just their third ever win at the World Cup against Tunisia, coming on as a late substitute to hold onto an invaluable clean sheet, the former Western Sydney Wanderers star was entrusted with the entire second half against Denmark in what was their pivotal game in Qatar.
A win was enough to see Graham Arnold’s side progress to the next stage for only the second time in their entire history, and he turned to Baccus to ensure that happened.
While Matthew Leckie rightly grabbed the headlines for his impressive Messi-esque goal, the St Mirren man picked up plenty of plaudits for the energy and pressing he brought to the team.
Baccus has always had the energy of a Duracell bunny on the pitch. Even when he arrived in Paisley over the summer jetlagged from his flight, he was still one of the club’s most physically active players in his first game for the club.
He definitely brought a spark to the Socceroos on Wednesday night which helped them outfight the Danes to historically make it into the next round.
Now comes the big one. The footballing world has had its eye on Messi in the last few months, with many hoping to see the little maestro pick up the only silverware he hasn’t managed in his final shot at World Cup glory.
Standing in his way now are Baccus and his battling Socceroos teammates.
As a huge Messi fan myself, I’ll admit it would be hard to see him fail to achieve the one thing missing from his already sensational CV. But if I was to see anyone play a key role in making that happen, it would be Baccus.
As he told me yesterday from Australia’s training base, it was a big gamble to leave home at just 24 and move from Sydney to Paisley in the hope that it would help his career take off. It’s not only taken off, it’s blasted into the football stratosphere.
He deserves every success he gets for his bravery and endeavour, with a record-breaking transfer fee potentially yet to be delivered to St Mirren’s bank account given the way he’s played on the biggest stage in the game.
For now, Saints fans are rightly brimming with pride at seeing the boy they’ve watched develop at the SMiSA Stadium over the last six months take on one of the world’s greatest ever players.
Whatever the result, my fingers are firmly crossed that Baccus picks up his fifth cap in one of his country’s biggest ever matches in their history.
It would certainly be apt for the Buddies very own history maker.
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