Town midfielder Massimo Luongo says he felt like he was back home after making his return to the Australia side after more than four years away.
The 31-year-old impressed as the Socceroos beat New Zealand 2-0 at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium to win the Soccer Ashes.
"Amazing, amazing, honestly,” Luongo told Soccer Australia following the match. "I just enjoyed it. From minute one, I just went out there, I wasn’t nervous, I wasn’t building it up in my head or anything, I just felt ‘This is nice’.
"I felt like I’m back home. Obviously I’m in England but it’s second home to me, it was incredible.”
Luongo, who took his caps total to 44, admitted last week that at times he had doubts that he’d ever get back into the squad and that finally making his return made all the hard work worth while.
"One hundred per cent,” he reflected. "The England game, I was thinking then it would have been little cherry on top. I was looking forward to that. It didn’t happen but today Arnie [manager Graham Arnold] put me in, put his full trust in me.
"I think the boys played really well, we had a lot of freedom, played with a lot of freedom and I think you can tell when the older players are enjoying it like me that it filters down to the young ones and the boys making their debuts.
"I’m just happy to get on the pitch and do what I can do and I think sometimes I get carried away a little bit but I just loved it, I loved it.”