Here’s where Tony Popovic comes in. Then coach of Melbourne Victory, he signed Arzani for the 2023-24 season, which turned out to be probably the best of his career, if not quite as consistent as many would have liked – but it was still enough to earn his first Socceroos call-up in nearly six years for last June’s World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine. Arzani attributed his revival to Popovic’s focus on the mental side of his game.

But then Popovic left Victory at the end of the season, and Arzani’s form suffered in his absence. It was back to fleeting glimpses again. Months later, when Popovic was a few months into his tenure as Socceroos coach, he was asked about Arzani, who he called into his first camp last October, and did not hold back.

“He knows what I think of him, so I’ll be telling you something now that he knows: It wasn’t good enough,” Popovic said. “It wasn’t good enough in October. His level was really poor in training. Now maybe for him, it’s okay, but it’s not enough.”

This was clearly a ploy to conjure a reaction out of Arzani. Why such a ploy is required to get a reaction from him is a matter for his therapist – but it didn’t come. Between those comments and Popovic naming him anyway in his latest Socceroos squad, ahead of several arguably more deserving candidates, Arzani did not register a single goal or assist for Victory.

Two days after, of course, Arzani produced perhaps his best match of the season in a 4-2 defeat to the Western Sydney Wanderers. And since arriving in camp, he has apparently met Popovic’s high expectations.

So perhaps the ploy will come off, should the Socceroos need inspiration in the second half against Indonesia at Allianz Stadium. Popovic, of course, is giving him no guarantees, keeping him on his toes until the last.

“Very good. He’s doing a great job so far at training,” Popovic said on Wednesday.

“I think all the players have, so I’m not singling him out. Obviously, in October he wasn’t good, and you asked the question back then, and I answered it. You ask it now, and I tell you he’s doing very well.

“Does that mean that he’ll be in the squad for the game? No … but very happy with his contribution so far.”

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Those who know Arzani describe him as a “unique” character, which is why Popovic treats him as one, even if that might put the players he has overlooked for him offside.

“Danny’s a lot wiser than maybe some assume,” said Socceroo Jason Geria, a former teammate of Arzani’s at Victory.

“I think he took those comments on board … I’ve seen what he’s trying to do on the pitch. I can see that there’s a genuine effort there in trying to be a better version of himself. That’s also what I think the boss and the coaching staff have also seen, and I think that’s why he’s here in this camp now.

“We all know the quality that Daniel has … in his prime, he’s one of the players with the most technical ability that this country has. I guess it hasn’t been consistent enough. But when he’s flying, he’s almost unstoppable. He’s almost unplayable. If we can get that in these next two games, I think it’s going to be a massive asset for us.”

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