San Francisco: One day, we might find out what Harry Souttar could be capable of at a World Cup on the back of a clean, injury-free season.
The bedrock of Australia’s defence has spent the last 18 months trapped in a cycle of injuries, surgeries and setbacks that seemed never-ending. But he is here, and ready. So too is older brother John, who has been selected for Scotland after overcoming a catalogue of injury problems of his own, granting the Souttar lads entry into one of football’s most exclusive clubs.
Harry, 27, was one of the Socceroos’ best players at the last World Cup in Qatar, having recovered from an ACL injury on the eve of the tournament.
That was pretty straightforward compared to what he’s just been through.
In December 2024, he ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for Sheffield United, where he’d been loaned out by Leicester City. He spent 10 days at his parents’ place in Scotland after the surgery – and then, as he returned to the club, he did it again.
“It was literally the first step in the door when I came back, slipped on the crutch,” Souttar said.
This time he’d injured himself higher up the tendon than the first time, so he had to have a second round of surgery, adding another month to his comeback. But by the British summer, the screws from his first surgery were causing him so much pain that he couldn’t walk without agony.
“I was like, yeah, I need to do something about it. So got that removed,” he said.
Surgery number three.
Fast-forward to December just gone, and Souttar was fit and training, back at Leicester City, which was not the best place to be. The club was in the middle of a torrid season in England’s second tier that ended with their second successive relegation, the mood of the club was dark, and Souttar himself was annoyed with how long he’d been out for and how poor Leicester’s situation was.
“So I just went into training a little bit frustrated, and went into a few tackles that I probably shouldn’t have done, and ended up doing my meniscus in the right knee,” he said.
That’s surgery number four – which, because of the Christmas-New Year period, didn’t happen until late January. It meant Souttar couldn’t make it back in time for the Socceroos’ March window, and didn’t get on the park for Leicester City until the final two games of the season, ending a 483-day absence.
Were it not for the lengthy pre-camp in Florida, which served for Souttar and others like a mini pre-season, he wouldn’t be at this World Cup. He knows it, and is eager to repay coach Tony Popovic’s faith in him; his performances in Australia’s recent friendlies suggest he is back to his unconquerable best. He even wore the captain’s armband for the first time against Switzerland.
But Harry won’t be able to count on the in-person support of the Souttar family until the Socceroos’ second game against the United States. For the other two, they will be watching Scotland, and the major tournament debut of John, 29 – and he won’t begrudge them.
John has endured his own personal injury hell: he’s done his Achilles three times, had surgery on his ankle and hip and suffered a “scary” concussion, and that’s far from an exhaustive list. His luckless streak also included a calf injury in the warm-up of Scotland’s miraculous 4-2 World Cup qualifying win over Denmark, which saw him pulled from the starting XI at the last minute.
“When the team news came through … I was trying to phone my dad and my mum, who were at the game, but they didn’t have any signal. So I was like, what’s going on?” Harry said.
“I didn’t know how serious the injury was or whatever. Thankfully, it was only like a month that he was out. But yeah, that game was just unbelievable to watch. The quality of goals … the first goal, overhead kick, was one of the best I’ve ever seen in my life. The whole family had a great night out in Glasgow after it.”
John and Harry are one of four sets of brothers at this World Cup who will line up for different nations; only once before has that happened – in 2022, with Inaki (Ghana) and Nico Williams (Spain).
“It’s certainly a unique situation and it’s one that’s very cool,” Harry said.
“Obviously I’m excited for myself, but for him missing the last two Euros and his injuries as well, I’m more buzzing for him really.”
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