'Never crossed my mind': Alex Robertson shoots down defection rumours

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/scotland/fZRU25WH/"]Scotland[/a]-born [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robertson-alex/63grHnZb/"]Robertson[/a], whose father and grandfather both represented Australia, won the ‌last of his two caps against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] in Beijing ‌in 2023 under former coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alexander-arnold-trent/CEVJy6Bc/"]Graham Arnold[/a] but has yet to ‌add to them under Tony Popovic.[/p][p]He will hope to change ‌that when the Socceroos play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cameroon/zk1uVG2D/"]Cameroon[/a] in Sydney on Friday and Curacao in Melbourne next week, the team's last warm-ups on home soil ‌before the June 11-July 19 World Cup.[/p][p]Popovic ⁠raised eyebrows last year when ‌he said Robertson, who played for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] at junior levels and ​is eligible to play for Scotland and his mother's country Peru, had withdrawn himself from selection due to ​a paperwork issue.[/p][p]Robertson said on Tuesday he could not remember details around the paperwork problem but denied he had ever ⁠seriously weighed other options.[/p][embed guid="e7d455d7-4b21-4594-aafa-9bab4f677cee" url="https://x.com/10NewsAU/status/2036337837944066102" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]There ​was never really any thought to go anywhere else. It was always Australia,[/b]" the 22-year-old told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.[/p][p]"I grew up in Australia as a kid. I classed myself as ‌being Australian and couldn't really think to play for any other country than Australia.[/p][p]"[b]The rumours, I've seen a few of them, it was kind of just paper talk. It was never really anything that crossed my mind.[/b]"[/p][p]Robertson was called up for the last Socceroos camp in October for away friendlies against World Cup co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a] but did not get any game-time.[/p][p]The upcoming friendlies may be his ‌last chance to impress Popovic and win a spot in the ​World Cup squad.[/p][p]"[b]It would mean the world,[/b]" he said ‌of playing at the global tournament.[/p][p]"It's something I dreamt of as a little kid, and even just playing for Australia I dreamt of since I was a little kid.[/p][p]"[b]So I'd never take it for granted and hopefully can ⁠get a few more ⁠games and just play as ‌much as I can.[/b]"[/p]