Connor Metcalfe didn't know what to expect when he traded Melbourne City for St. Pauli, but in opening his mind in Germany, the young gun found a way to shut out World Cup selection heartbreak.
The 23-year-old was among the Socceroos heavily involved in World Cup qualifying who didn't make the final squad for Qatar.
But after a break at home with family, Metcalfe returned to 2.Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli, where he is captained by Socceroos midfield stalwart Jackson Irvine, and he hasn't looked back.
"End of the day, I can't control anything and is it is what it is," he told AAP.
"I cleared my head and went back overseas with a really good mentality of just 'I want to play, I want to play'.
"We got a new coach as well and as soon as he came in, he just said to me straight away 'I'm gonna play you, so it's yours to lose'. It's been going really good so far, and I'm really enjoying it."
Metcalfe moved to St. Pauli at the end of last A-League Men season and has since scored three goals in 21 appearances, but has become a consistent starter since the World Cup break.
After a relatively politically neutral experience during his time as a fresh-faced youngster at City, Metcalfe has enjoyed a drastically different time in Germany.
St. Pauli is famous for its left-wing fan base and is ardently against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia.
"Obviously, it's a bit different. I didn't know what to expect, because you go from the A-League and stuff like that, where there's not (so) many fans and there's not really a political side to it in Australia," he said.
"But you go overseas and as soon as I landed it was a completely different vibe. It's fantastic.
"What the club does and what they believe in, it's pretty special."
Hard-running Irvine, 30, embodies the unique nature of St. Pauli but has also proved an invaluable mentor for Metcalfe.
"He's great. He's made it so easy for me to move away from my family, all the way overseas because he's been there," Metcalfe said.
"He moved when he was 14, 15 or something like that. So he knows what it's like.
"He's the captain, he's just such a good guy, such a good player and he's fantastic."
Metcalfe was a late substitute in Friday's 3-1 win over Ecuador and is eyeing more game time in Tuesday's second friendly at Marvel Stadium.
Australian Associated Press
