EXCLUSIVE: Postecoglou snubs Jones, backs Ryan

Brad Jones’ stellar season at Dutch club Feyenoord has turned heads across the football world but has done nothing to put him back in Socceroos contention with coach Ange Postecoglou confirming he plans no changes to his goalkeeping set-up.

Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan (left) and Ange Postecoglou Source: Getty Images

Jones, who has been the best performing Australian gloveman this season, was recently named goalkeeper of the year in the Eredivisie and was selected as part of the best XI team of the UEFA Europa League group stage.

The-34-year-old, who joined the Dutch side after long stints at Liverpool and Middlesbrough, has been key in Feyenoord’s brilliant campaign so far as they sit five points clear at the top of the table after 17 rounds.

But while Jones is thriving at club level, Australia's number one shotstopper Mat Ryan is struggling for game-time at La Liga club Valencia, having fallen to third choice goalkeeper under new coach Cesare Prandelli.

While Socceroos number two Mitch Langerak is a regular starter at German side Stuttgart, Postecoglou’s third option Adam Federici is also barely playing at Bournemouth.

But Postecoglou said while Jones is “on our radar”, he's happy with his goalkeeping set-up just as it is.

“At the end of the day we’ve always had pretty healthy goalkeeping stocks and we do at the moment,” he told The World Game.

“Mitch Langerak is having an outstanding season at Stuutgart and Federici hasn’t played a lot, but when he has he’s in the Premier League and obviously playing at a very high level and Maty has been outstanding.

“With Maty of course we’d prefer him to be playing and I think he’s trying and change that situation. But his national team form has been outstanding for us.

“Maty hasn’t shown us anything that suggest he isn’t going to be a big part of what we do.”

Over the coming weeks, Postecoglou will spend some time in Europe to touch base with several Socceroos players over there.

The coach confirmed he hasn’t made any contact with Jones and the keeper seems unlikely to get a visit during his trip.

Asked if there’s any possibility Jones, who has not been involved with the national team since 2014, would be brought back in to the fold next year, Postecouglou said: "I don’t speculate on those things".

“As I said I’m pretty happy with our goalkeeping stocks right now and if we feel we need to make a change then he’ll be one of the guys who gets assessed for it.”