sport news Everything you need to know about Ajdin Hrustic after his goal left Socceroos ... trends now
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He was born in Melbourne and left Australian shores at the age of 15, determined to establish himself as an elite footballer in Europe.
And on Wednesday morning (AEST) at Qatar's Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in a must-win World Cup qualifier, Ajdin Hrustic was the hero for the Socceroos in their hard fought 2-1 victory.
The attacking midfielder, 25, rifled home a left-foot volley in the 83rd minute against the United Arab Emirates, setting up a winner takes all intercontinental play-off match versus Peru on June 15 - also in Qatar.
Hrustic's first-time strike took a deflection to deceive UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, sparking pandemonium on the Socceroos' bench.
Those who know the qualities of the German-based number 10 weren't surprised Hrustic stood up when it mattered, with his cultured left foot and attacking flair seeing him earn youth contracts with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Schalke and Groningen.
In 2020, he signed a professional contract with Eintracht Frankfurt and was a key figure when the Bundesliga club won the Europa League
