So, when the 26-year-old instead found his way to newly promoted League One side Mansfield Town it caught a significant number of fans by surprise.

One game and one win onto the new season, Baccus is delighted with his move to the unglamorous Midlands outfit, explaining it was all part of his plan to get a foothold in England.

Where it ultimately leads will depend on the performances of the athletic and energetic Western Sydney Wanderers product - a mainstay of Graham Arnold’s Socceroos squad with 18 caps to his name and a successful World Cup behind him.

“I’ve always wanted to play in England, that has been my long term goal for ages and I’m really happy with the move,” Baccus told FTBL.

“They have a lot of ambition having come up, and from what I’ve seen so far at this level fitness and strength a very important.

“The players are always game ready - they know when to work and when to rest. For me, this is a step up.

“The quality here is really good and I think I’m going to learn a lot. It just felt right when I came and met the people here.

“It’s early days of course but the dream was to come here and go as far as I can and reach the highest level possible.

“I think this move will help with my progress for sure. Of course if the team does well we’ll all reap the benefits from that.”

Statistically speaking, Baccus is at his physical peak in his mid-twenties and is aiming to maximise every minute as he looks to ensure he maintains the pace for club and country.

“I really enjoyed by time in Scotland but England was always that next step I wanted to take,” he added.

“I’m on a bit of a journey - I’d love to get to the Championship with Mansfield and then of course the Premier League is the ultimate ambition, without getting too ahead of myself.”

With Bahrain on the agenda on the Gold Coast next month as Australia enter the final round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, Baccus can’t afford to miss a trick.

“You can’t ever rest on your laurels because we have so much talent on the squad,” he said.

“Things change fast in football and it’s all about keeping your name on the list and making an impact whenever you get the chance.

“I feel lucky and blessed to have picked up the caps I have and it’s just a matter of keeping going. It’s a big period coming up for us.”

Baccus, who has only scored once for Australia, is looking to add to that tally, pointing out that in the modern game midfielders can be defined by their goals.

Likely to play in a more advanced role for the Stags, the opportunities to unleash strikes on goal may come more readily than at St Mirren where he played predominantly as a number six.

“Hopefully that’ll be the case because goals are something I want to add to my game,” he said.