Arnold was given a new national team contract by Football Australia on Monday following his heroic performance as Socceroos coach at the recent World Cup in Qatar which saw the side produce their best ever performance on the global stage, where they fell just short to eventual champions Argentina in the round of 16.

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The announcement is a remarkable turnaround for Arnold, who looked all but likely to lose his job in March after failing to reach the World Cup through automatic qualification. But after defying all the odds to beat Peru to get to Qatar and then registering wins against Denmark and Tunisia at the Cup, FA confirmed he was the right man to lead the side into the next tournament in 2026.

Timpano said that the criticism labelled towards Arnold during the turbulent times was harsh and that he felt FA had made the right choice in re-signing him. A former player under Arnold, Timpano said his man-management style of coaching - something the Socceroos coach prides himself on - was a part of his game he always excelled at.

"A lot of players these days say what a good man-manager he is and how he brings the group together, brings a good culture and it's very much right," he said.

"He was like that 20 years ago. He has developed a lot as a coach in that time but for the national team and the culture he has created in this squad is great. He gets players really wanting to play for him and I think he's the ideal person for the role. It's a deserved appointment."

Timpano said that Arnold has played a crucial role in the development of young players for the past 20 years in Australian football at that this recent World Cup was no different, with youngsters such as Riley McGree, Keanu Baccus, Kiama-born Kye Rowles and Harry Souttar all thriving at the tournament and announcing themselves as national team players for some time.

"I've played under a few managers and obviously everyone has their own way but his approach with the players was definitely different from what others did," he said.

"I was his captain in the early stages of the Olyroos and we had a great relationship. Speak with any other player that's played under him and 99 per cent of them will agree. He's shown he can get the best out of the younger players."

As a former A-League championship winning coach with the Mariners and Sydney, Arnold fielded a domestic heavy Cup squad that defied all the odds to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament, for the first time since 2006.

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