Holman backs Herd to succeed

The midfielder failed to make the squad for Friday morning's (AEST) international against Lebanon in Beirut and the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Jordan in Amman five days later, with coach Holger Osieck stating he didn't believe he would add anything to his 23-man party while also querying his commitment to the Socceroos.

Herd, who also qualifies for Scotland through his parents, has subsequently re-iterated his desire to play for Australia after being forced out of three previous squads though injury - most recently the 3-1 loss to Scotland last month.

And the ever-impressive Holman, who played the full 90 minutes as Villa picked up its first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at St James' Park, believes the 23-year-old has the potential to carve out a long Socceroos career.

"I've seen a bit of Chris now. He had a rough pre-season with injuries and that always makes it hard to get your fitness levels up," he said.

"But you can see he has a lot to give and down the track, as he develops, you can see he will be a big player for club and also country.

"I'm sure that that he will put his hand up every time he's available and in talking to him, and seeing how unfortunate he's been in having to pull out in the past, I know he wants to be a part of the squad.

"Once he gets the chance he will prove that he belongs.

"He's a typical midfielder, who can also drop deep and mark an opponent out of a game, and his versatility will help him.

"He's box-to-box and can run all day, has a good leap on him and can sneak in for a goal or two as he did in scoring against Tranmere.

"He's still learning and I don't know what his personal goals are but I'd think he'd want to have a good crack at the Socceroos and that will also hinge on him nailing down a regular spot at Villa - it's the same story for a lot of the young Australian players across Europe."

Herd didn't feature in Villa's squad at St James' Park while Holman, 28, has almost become one of the Roos' elder statesmen as he approaches his 55th cap for his country, having emerged as an almost indispensable part of Osieck's armoury.

His importance was aptly demonstrated against Scotland with his departure at half-time through injury, along with the similarly-influential Mark Bresciano, leaving Australia short of thrust, imagination and ingenuity and ripe for the plundering.

His return against Lebanon - and then Jordan - could not be more timely as Australia seeks to end a run of four games without a win and ignite its World Cup qualification campaign.

"With every game we're always going for the three points and we certainly need them against Jordan," he said.

"We need to lift it up a notch because the Scotland game was very disappointing and we have to regroup and make sure there are no more slip ups. We have two points from two group games (Oman and Japan) and a win would nice."

Despite silencing the cynics with a breakout tournament at the 2010 World Cup, Holman is hardly resting on his laurels.

"It's nice to get a bit of recognition for what you have achieved but in football you can fall pretty fast, so it's vital to keep on doing the right things," he said.

"I am not the type to let anything affect me too much - I know it's all about hard work and if you lose sight of those things can very change fast."

With three Premiership games under his belt now, Holman says of the difference between the Netherlands - where he spent nearly a decade - and Britain's top flight: "In Holland it's more technical in some ways, not that it makes it better.

"In England, it's more about speed, agility and pace. It's something I need to adapt to and hopefully combine that with what I've learned in Holland.

"Last year was one to forget for Villa, especially for such a big club and the will is there from the fans and players to do better.

"Hopefully things click, sooner rather than later.

"I'm just keen to get my match minutes and keep on improving and doing a job for the club."