RILEY McGREE is hoping Australia’s experiences at the 2022 World Cup will help them achieve their aim of becoming Asian champions over the course of the next month.

The Socceroos kicked off their Asian Cup campaign in Qatar at the weekend with a 2-0 win over India that has taken them to the top of Group B.

McGree was a second-half substitute in the game, and made an instant impact after coming off the bench as he set up Australia’s second goal for his fellow replacement, Jordan Bos.

The Middlesbrough midfielder was also a member of the Socceroos squad that made it to the knockout stages of the last World Cup in Qatar, where they beat Tunisia and Denmark in the group stage before losing to eventual winners Argentina in the last 16, and is hoping their success in that tournament will stand them in good stead.

“It’s good to be back here on winning terms,” said McGree, who is joined in the Australia squad by his Middlesbrough team-mate Sammy Silvera. “To be in and around another tournament environment, it feels a little but more natural in the way in which we can deal with it and cope with it.

“I think coming into a competition like this, some would say we’re up there to potentially take it out and we take that in our stride. We take it game by game, and hopefully the results can take care of themselves.

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“We want to play our brand of football and we want to approach the game in the way we think will best suit. Every game is different, obviously, but we as a football team, and as a nation, we want to play good-quality football and entertain.”

McGree and Silvera came onto the field at the same time during Australia’s opening group game, with the former replacing Connor Metcalfe and the second coming on for Martin Boyle.

McGree made an immediate impact, breaking into the right-hand side of the penalty area before squaring for Bos to slot home.

“I found some spaces, and I was able to contribute in a way that I felt was somewhat effective,” said McGree, who will hope to feature in Australia’s starting line-up for their second group game against Syria on Thursday.

“Personally, I like to just kind of see where and how I can affect the game, and the space I can exploit. Coming on, obviously the game opens up in the second half and things start to happen a little bit more.”