There will be a Golden Boot winner at this year’s World Cup. Maybe it will be shared.
There will be unheralded players bursting from the football shadows into the brightest of lights.
There will be a few whose dreams will be shattered by anything less than end of tournament glory and more whose hopes have already been fulfilled just by being part of it all.
There will be a group of men who will achieve athletic immortality by getting their hands on the most precious trophy in sport.
There are 831 players in Qatar for whom everything will feel possible.
.@BrechinCityFC 🤝 @FIFAWorldCup
@Socceroos📷: DC Thomson archive https://t.co/bPmoRvSAfP pic.twitter.com/i0Mz9ogwtF
— Scott Lorimer (@scottlorimer89) November 14, 2022
But none of that number will have a greater appreciation of perspective than the young Australian defender who, less than four months ago, lost a brother to Motor Neurone Disease.
Stoke City’s Harry, like Rangers’ John and the rest of the Souttar family, are still coming to terms with the death of Aaron in July.
So, yes, getting a grip on what matters most in life won’t be an issue for the youngest of the boys, even after achieving something as momentous as World Cup selection for the country of his mother’s birth.
Neither will be finding inspiration.
Dad Jack, who has flown out to Qatar with wife Heather, friends and relatives for Australia’s three group games (and hopefully more knock-out matches after those), said: “It’s not something that should happen to a family but that’s MND.
“It’s the worst bloody disease that has ever existed.
“It’s horrendous.
“Both John and Harry have always played down any injuries they’ve had in their careers because what their brother was going through was on a different level.
“Without a doubt it has helped them mentally.
“Aaron was that bit older than Harry and John but they were very close. His two sisters (Ailsa and Mhiran) were as well.
“We’ve all been really affected by it.
“Of course, Aaron will be an inspiration for John and Harry in whatever they do through their careers.
“By jove, there have been highs and lows. Football can certainly give you those as well.”
Made in Brechin
Harry proudly wears Australian gold and green on his back but this a football story rooted in Angus, as the name ‘Brechin City Boys Club’ on Harry’s Qatar hotel room door illustrates.
“That was fantastic to see,” said Jack, who played for Brechin back in the day.
“I was brought up a Brechin lad and they played all their boys’ football there.
“They both supported Brechin City.
“I used to laugh when Harry went to Celtic’s academy and he said ‘Brechin’ when he got asked what team he supported.”
Harry suffered a serious knee injury playing for Australia in the World Cup qualifiers and Jack believes the care his current club, Stoke, have taken during a year-long recuperation period has been crucial to the 24-year-old returning to a football pitch in the nick of time.
“Harry was confident before he got injured but he’s only played one full game for Stoke,” said Jack.
“Give Alex Neil (Stoke manager) his due – he didn’t play him on Saturday against West Brom because he knew the squad was getting named the day after and Harry had played in midweek.
Harry Souttar vs. Luton ⬇️
✅ 100% Ground Duels Won (3/3)
✅ 2/3 Tackles Won
✅ 6/7 Aerial Duels Won
1️⃣5️⃣ Clearances
3️⃣ Passes into the Final Third
💫 Stoke City are glad to have him back! #SCFC pic.twitter.com/pkFmX9KIMB
— Champ Chat (@TheChampChatPod) November 8, 2022
“The staff at Stoke have been fantastic – holding him back a wee bit when it was in his best interests.
“There’s a stat that says if you come back within seven months after an ACL you’ve got a 70% chance of breaking down.
“Taking your time and not rushing it is key.
“But that meant it was always going to be very close in terms of the World Cup.
“It was a year, more or less to the day, from when he got injured to when he was selected.
“It’s been a very similar story to David Wotherspoon and the way St Johnstone have managed his comeback.
“I always rated him as player from when I first saw him playing against John at United.
“It’s been a parallel route to Qatar for him and Harry.
“They’re two lads who came through the Scottish system and represented Scotland at youth level.
“Now they’re at a World Cup with Australia and Canada.
“You wonder at times why they were overlooked by Scotland but football is all about opinions.
“Ask either of them if they’d swap what they’ve got now, I think I know what the answer would be!”
The blue of Scotland for John
If there’s a Souttar specialist subject it’s injury comebacks, with John currently getting towards the conclusion of yet another one.
Hopefully there will be more Hampden highpoints for Jack to savour, with the year to the day milestone having just been reached for the former Dundee United star’s headed goal against Denmark.
🎂 Cheers to John Souttar on his birthday 🙌 🏴
Celebrate it with John's first Scotland goal against Denmark ⚽️
🍻 @TennentsLager pic.twitter.com/uo12QmZGBa
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 25, 2022
“That was something we never thought would happen after all the injuries John had to fight his way back from,” he said.
“The feelings that night as a father were indescribable – not just playing for Scotland, scoring for Scotland.
“And then when you think about it later on, it feels even more special.
“John’s working hard to get back by the end of December.”
Mbappe v Souttar?
For the moment, though, it’s all about France versus Australia. And maybe Mbappe versus Souttar.
“There’s a theme that the team who won the previous World Cup have often lost the first game in the next one,” said Jack, ever the optimist. “Let’s hope that continues!
“This is the world stage and France have got some superstar players.
“The World Cup could be life-changing. It’s a shop window for all of them.
“There were a few clubs coming to look at Harry before the injury (Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton reported to be among them).
“Harry’s about 6ft 7in so he stands out in the crowd, which has always been a plus for him.
“But whatever happens next, what an experience this will be for him.”
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