Ipswich Town: Massimo Luongo on unretiring for Australia

The all-action midfielder was a mainstay for the Blues as they secured a second straight promotion last season, returning to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

During that remarkable run, Luongo announced his retirement from international football last December.

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Massimo Luongo has 45 caps for Australia (Image: PA) The 32-year-old would likely have been selected by the Socceroos for January's Asian Cup, meaning he would have missed a key run of games for Town in January.

"The period of retiring was aligned with Ipswich Town getting promoted to the Premier League," he told Optus Sport.

"So I think that was ahead of my priorities at the time. It was quite vital for me to stay here and play and focus on Ipswich Town and so I made the decision to do it (retire).

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"And I did speak to Arnie (then Australia boss Graham Arnold) about it and Arnie was cool with me…I didn’t really want to retire but I think because the Asian Cup was on it was the best way to avoid a lot of arguments and a lot of media stuff.

"And I really did think ‘I’m retired – if this is the decision I have to make to make the Premier League, then I’m going to do it.’"

Luongo was a key part of Town's back-to-back promotion winning sides (Image: Ross Halls) Town, of course, then went on to win a logic-defying promotion to the top tier with Luongo at the heart of the team's engine room. 

He continued: "So I made that decision and we got promoted and Arnie texted me not long after and spoke to me.

"And he just said ‘I’ll leave it for now, congratulations and stuff, but what do you think about coming back? Because we’ve got some big games.’

"And now you’re in the Premier League, you’ve done your job. I said ‘yeah’, at first I said ‘that would be pretty cool’ especially if, you know, we don’t play as many games and I might not be starting. Yeah, 100%.

"And even when I started the first two games he called me and said ‘what do you think? Too early, you’re doing really well?’, and I was like ‘I’ll leave it with you, and if you want me I’m there.’

"And he goes, ‘Ok, we’ll leave it for now.’ Well, then he decided to leave."

Luongo will likely be playing alongside Town team-mate Cameron Burgess when he does return to the Australian side (Image: PA) Arnold departed as Australia boss in September and was replaced by Tony Popovic.

"So that was the bit where it was a bit lost in translation," Luongo continued.

"But I think the message got across to the coaches and stuff, and to be fair to them, no-one’s promised a spot in the Socceroos.

"So I just, through the staff and stuff, just said ‘if you want to declare yourself available, then we’ll consider you’ and I said ‘Yeah, ok, cool.’"

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Luongo was duly recalled by Australia for the October international break, but then had to drop out of the side due to an ankle injury.

However, with Australia in the thick of World Cup qualifying, Luongo will hope to add to his 45 international caps in short order. 

When he does, he'll likely be playing alongside Town team-mate Cameron Burgess, who has just earned his 13th cap for the Socceroos.

Cameron Burgess has 13 Australian caps (Image: PA) Of Luongo's retirement and unretirement, Burgess told Optus: "I understood Mass’ reasons for doing so.

"I play with him and train with him every day, I know his qualities and I know what a help he can be to the national team and I think a squad with Mass in it is a better squad really.

"So I was delighted at his news that he wanted to come back and play."