It might be a hat-trick of World Cup selections for midfielder Mark Milligan but unlike the previous two, when he failed to play in either, the Melbourne Victory skipper is hoping it’s a case of third time lucky.

Milligan was a World Cup bolter in Germany 2006 but did not participate in any of the four matches. He again watched from the sidelines in South Africa four years later.

However, even though he’s competing for positions against captain-elect Mile Jedinak, Mark Bresciano, James Holland and Josh Brillante, he’s feeling much better about participating in Brazil after being named in the interim 30-man Socceroos squad on Wednesday.

“Obviously I was very young when it first happened and it was a little bit of a whirlwind,” Milligan said. “But I think this time I’m a bit better prepared.”



Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou named Milligan as a player he expected to lead by example during the upcoming preparation camp in Gosford.



“I don’t think it’s too much added pressure – I think Ange will expect that of all [senior players] who are coming into camp as well to take a natural role,” Milligan said. “Everyone needs to come in with a good attitude, a willingness to learn and I think everybody’s goal over the next few weeks should be to give Ange as many headaches as possible when he has to name that 23 [final squad].”



The 28-year-old has 27 international caps but said he probably didn’t feel a settled first-team regular until he played a crucial role in the final three matches of last year’s qualification period, partnering Bresciano in midfield.



“That’s when I felt like I most deserved to be a part of it all,” he said. “I felt I truly had something to give and help this team with.”



While the central coast camp is expected to be fiercely contested, Milligan said it might be a little different to the tough pre-World Cup sessions run by Guus Hiddink in 2006.



“A lot has changed in football since 2006 in the way things are done,” he said. “It will be a lot more with the ball in training. Ange will have a lot more information that he wants to get across to everybody as well. I’m expecting it will be tough and that we’ll be tested both physically and mentally and it will bring the best out of everyone.”



Milligan had lucrative offers from abroad knocked back by his club during the past year – including one from Crystal Palace when Postecoglou was still Victory coach – and said he would like to use the tournament as a launch pad for renewed interest.



“Until the day I retire there will be that desire to play abroad. When you lose that, it’s probably time to give the game up,” he said. “You always want to play at the highest level."



Brisbane Roar’s Ivan Franjic said he was still coming to grips with the idea that his World Cup dream was on the verge of coming true.



“As a player, you always have that self-belief in you and you always hope you’re good enough, so over the next month I need to prove to Ange that I am good enough,” he said. “I now just need to keep the form going that got me to this 30-man squad.”



Franjic said he had stayed fit after the A-League grand final by getting help from his club teammates.



“We kept training, me and [Matt] McKay, and Thomas Broich came and joined us as well, which was very nice of him,” he said. “We even dragged in a few boys from the youth team.”