‘Hopefully they clean it up for him’: St Kilda Beach renamed after new Socceroos hero

Oakland: Patrick Beach came into this World Cup with few expectations. His plan was to give it a red-hot crack and see what happens. He did not expect to be preferred to captain Mathew Ryan in all three of Australia’s group stage games.

And he certainly did not expect to have a beach named after him.

For the remainder of the tournament, St Kilda Beach in Melbourne has been renamed in his honour by the City of Port Phillip.

It’s a shame he doesn’t go there often; only a few times has Patrick Beach been to Patrick Beach since Patrick Beach moved to Melbourne three years ago.

But he’s flattered.

“It’s nice, relaxing, especially in the summer. A lot of people get out and enjoy it,” Beach said.

“Not as many waves as in Sydney as we’re used to when I was younger.

“It’s great to see the country’s getting around it. We definitely feel love and support here from back home. All of us players and staff, we see the support from the nation. We see the videos, we see Feds Square and the crowds in Sydney and Brisbane and all over everywhere.

“I don’t know how long that is or what’s the go with that, but that’s very much appreciated. I think it’s pretty funny as well.”

The temporary gong is a nod by the council to not only acknowledge the sudden rise of the 22-year-old goalkeeper, but also the “strong connection” between the city of Melbourne and the Socceroos, since Beach plays for Melbourne City. He is one of seven former or current players from the A-League club in Tony Popovic’s 26-man Socceroos squad.

“What’s better than one iconic beach? Two – especially when one is named after a World Cup player. With the Socceroos progressing to the next round, this is a great way for our community to show its support,” City of Port Phillip mayor Alex Makin said.

As a PR stunt, it’s a classic of the genre – but they probably should have worded up Aziz Behich, Beach’s captain at City, who’s obviously not a big fan.

“I wouldn’t want that,” he said after being informed of Beach’s honour.

“Hopefully they clean it up for him.”

Regardless of one’s position on the merits of St Kilda Beach, it’s proof of the extent to which the Socceroos are cutting through back home – and that Beach’s celebrity status has risen to a level that he might not fully appreciate until he walks on Australian soil again.

From a fairly anonymous A-League player (albeit a very good one), he has become a household name in weeks, though he says he has managed to block out most of the noise about him, which explains his rock-solid form.

Australia’s gloves now appear to be his to lose, which was an unfathomable concept before the team’s opening game against Turkey.

Handed a shock start over Ryan in the 2-0 win, Beach has given Popovic no reason to contemplate change, meeting every challenge and proving steady with his distribution by foot – even as pundits such as former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer suggesting one should have been made against Paraguay.

“The opinion that really matters to me is the staff,” Beach said.

“They’re the ones that pick the players that they think will do the job. I’m really grateful that they have that belief in me to go out there and do a job for the team and for the country.

“We always put our best foot forward and we have respect for each other, and whoever gets the nod, gets the nod. But to be able to get the nod from the boss and the staff to play is always an amazing feeling.”

Beach did not have a lot to do in the 0-0 draw in Santa Clara which confirmed Australia’s second-placed finish in group D, and the team’s pathway through the knockout phase – but when Paraguay’s Julio Enciso threatened to score a late winner, in a moment that left Popovic begging for the final whistle, he was equal to the task.

“When he came to City, he wasn’t the first goalkeeper. I’ve seen how hard he’s had to work to get that position his, and how much he had to work on his game to adapt the way we play football,” Behich said.

“He’s the type of kid that puts in the work every single day. He wants to learn. He asks questions, he wants to be a top pro. It was no surprise that he’s here; maybe to a lot of you. He got the chance to play in the first game and he proved what he can do.”

Get across our World Cup coverage