Brad Smith receives Australia call-up
Liverpool full-back Brad Smith has received a call-up by Australia for their upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Saudi Arabia.
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou named a 20-man squad for the double-header overnight as he begins preparations for next year's AFC Asian Cup.
On Smith, he said: "He made his debut for Liverpool at the back-end of last year and is rated highly. He is a player we've been monitoring since I've been in the job.
"He plays in a position where we don't have a great deal of depth - left-back.
"He's quick and from our perspective, these games are a chance to maybe expose some young players to international football, and hopefully create some depth in areas where we're light on."
Born in Penrith, Smith has previously represented England at youth international level.
The versatile 20-year-old made his senior debut for the Reds last December as a substitute during a Barclays Premier League fixture at Chelsea.
Earlier this month, Smith completed a youth loan switch to League One side Swindon Town, for whom he has made three appearances to date.