Shellharbour-born Socceroo Kye Rowles might be travelling the world in search of football but he still calls Illawarra home.
The 23-year-old left Wollongong for Brisbane when he was six but he said he still had plenty of family in the region.
"Yeh I get down there as much as I can," he said.
Rowles has attracted national recognition for his role in Australia's defeat of Peru in a penalty shoot out to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He said he learnt a lot from the tough, physical game.
"Their strikers just didn't stop moving and they are obviously just so experienced from playing overseas in South America and their striker plays in Italy at the moment," he said.
It has been a rollercoaster ride going from top club player for the Central Coast Mariners in the 2021/22 season to an appearance for the A-League All Stars team against Spanish giants Barcelona in Sydney to selection for Australia against Peru.
He has also locked in a three-year contract with Scottish club Heart of Midlothian.
"I am going to be a third (Australian) over there at this current time and there has been a fair few before my time as well," he said.
Praise for Joel King
Rowles also praised fellow Wollongong junior and national squad member Joel King, who is playing in the Danish Superliga for Odense BK.
King, 19, debuted for the Socceroos against Vietnam in January.
"That was massive for him and he has done so well and he has been smashing it over there in Denmark as well so the sky is the limit for him to be honest," Rowles said.
"Kingy is a legend."
