Australia's Graham Arnold 'absolutely' poised to pinch more Scots for Socceroos squad

Harry Souttar impressed against Argentina's Lionel Messi in Qatar

Australia head coach Graham Arnold is "absolutely" looking to poach more Scottish-born players for his squad.

And he says Scotland's failure to qualify for World Cup finals since 1998 helps his cause.

Arnold's pool for last year's finals in Qatar would have contained three Scotland-born players had Hibernian winger Martin Boyle not been injured.

"It's easy for me to get those players to come and play," he told the Sacked In The Morning podcast.

"I just say, 'listen, the Socceroos have qualified for the last five World Cups - when was the last one Scotland qualified for?'"

Leicester City centre-half Harry Souttar - whose brother John plays for Scotland - and Central Coast Mariners striker Jason Cummings - who had previously been capped for Scotland - were both part of Australia's World Cup finals squad.

Arnold hinted that he had more such players with Antipodean links up his sleeve.

"I can't tell you who they are otherwise Steve Clarke will run and tie them up straight away," he said when quizzed by former Scotland manager Craig Levein and host Amy Irons.

Souttar's displays in Qatar led to a big-money summer transfer from Stoke City to Leicester City.

Arnold pointed out that the Aberdeen-born defender's performances came despite having just returned from a year on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The head coach said he "never had any doubt about taking him" because he had a "no-excuses" mindset - along with Kye Rowles of Hearts, who had missed two months with injury prior to a November return.

"Harry plays very simple and quick one-touch," Arnold said. "Before the World Cup, they saw a big tall centre-back that was good in the air, that was defensively strong.

"But, then at the World Cup, they saw how good he was on the ball. And you've seen that at Leicester City. He's really impressed in that way."

Arnold joked that he reads Scottish newspapers rather than Australian ones given three other Hearts players - Nathaniel Atkinson, Cammy Devlin and on-loan Newcastle United striker Garang Kuol - as well as St Mirren duo Ryan Strain and Keanu Baccus, and Dundee United's Aziz Behich are also part of his squad.

Listen to Sacked in the Morning here