The English dream isn't always what it seems for aspiring footballers and uncapped Socceroo James Meredith can attest to that. After toiling in England's lower tiers for 11 years before gaining his first Socceroos call-up, Meredith advised Australia's best young talent to develop through domestic competitions and the A-League if they hope to play internationally.

It is a case of out of sight and out of mind for Meredith, who felt he never could could gain the attention of the national team, having worked his way up from the Conference to League One. It took the uncapped defender an unlikely cup victory over Chelsea to grab headlines in Australia and he believes it could have been much easier to break into the Socceroos had he played in the A-League.

The A-League was yet to begin when he moved to Derby County as a youth player in 2004, which Meredith said might have delayed his first call-up. "I think the best path now is to definitely go down the A-League [route] because it's a good set-up, it's very commercial, and if you do break through and you can get that exposure then the opportunities to move overseas and develop as a player or to be part of the Australian team, they're perfect now," Meredith said.

Although he spent his entire career in England and lists his primary goal as gaining promotion to the Championship with Bradford, Meredith still regards the A-League highly and dreams of playing in the competition. A huge supporter of South Melbourne from the National Soccer League years, Meredith has an ambition to return to Australia at some time to play for either Melbourne Victory or Melbourne City.

"Growing up as a kid, the only team I only ever wanted to play for was South Melbourne. I'm very grateful and very blessed to be where I am but that was the thing I always wanted to do... I'd like to still play for one of the Melbourne [A-League] teams," he said.

Watching the national team was about as close as the 27-year-old thought he would get to playing for them at one point during his gradual rise up to the third tier of English football. However, the tenacious and attacking full-back looked far from out of place during his first two training sessions with the Socceroos, although he admitted being a bit star struck on his arrival.

"It's something I've always aspired to do and always dreamt of doing. To be on the training pitch with the payers is fantastic, the ones who you've looked up to, seen on the telly all these years at the Asian Cup and at the World Cup, it's a real delight for me," Meredith said.

Meredith hopes to make his debut against Jordan in the World Cup qualifier in Amman at 1am Friday (AEDT), but will have to be picked ahead of regular left-back Jason Davidson.