Kingsley: We send our best to Aussie trio

The defender has been forced to watch from the side-lines for weeks through injury but hopes a return to Marbella for a warm weather camp can propel the Maroons ahead of our return to league action against Kilmarnock on December 17.
 
“I’m feeling good: rested and ready to go, really,” he told Hearts TV. “It’s good to be back in among the games and now we’ve got a few matches to look forward to over in Marbella. I’m just looking to get used to it again and get going.
 
“It’s just good to away with everyone, with all the boys. Some of them didn’t get that experience in the summer. It can help with the togetherness again and see where we want to go in this second part of the season. We’re trying to get that embedded in the friendlies and training that’s coming up so we’ll be ready to go come the next game of the season.
 
“The break has, for sure, been a little different, but we had something similar last season in January. When you’re off, you just keep yourself ticking over and then you come back to training and get your fitness levels up.
 
“You have to be fit and raring to go because there’s a big second half of the season coming up. I think I can speak for everyone here that we’ll be ready for it.”
 
The men in maroon were glued around phones last night as Australia defeated Denmark 1-0 to progress to the knock-out stages of a World Cup for the first time in sixteen years. Stephen’s defensive partner Kye Rowles played the full 90 minutes as the Socceroos made history.
 
With a mouth-watering clash against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in prospect, Stephen says every member of the squad will be passing on their well wishes to Kye, Cammy and Nate in Qatar.
 
“It’s amazing and we’re so delighted for Kye, delighted for all three of them,” he smiled.
 
“To be there in the first place was an incredible achievement and we’re all just ecstatic for them. I think it’s Argentina they’re playing in the Round of 16 – it doesn’t get much better than that. I know they’ll be delighted, and we’ll send them our best wishes ahead of that game.”