World Cup-bound Cristian Volpato would've felt more Australian than ever playing in the Serie A, making his Socceroos defection from Italy only a matter of time.
That is the opinion of Socceroos great John Aloisi, who says Volpato's switch of allegiance ahead of this month's World Cup came as no surprise to him.
Sydney-born Volpato is the new star attraction in Tony Popovic's 26-man squad after having knocked back Graham Arnold's pitch to include him in the 2022 World Cup team.
The Sassuolo winger in March had been waiting for a call-up to Italy's senior team after rising up the ranks in the nation's junior systems.
But Italy then lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina, with that result meaning the four-time World Cup winners have failed to qualify for three consecutive tournaments.
