Either side of his stint with Sydney FC, David Carney has played for seven European clubs and had more trials than OJ Simpson. The 26-year old has auditioned, with varying success, in England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium and Holland.

Carney's desire to ply his trade in Europe has been burning since a youngster rising through the ranks of Everton's academy alongside Wayne Rooney. Stints at Oldham, Halifax and in Scotland with Hamilton Academical followed before his return to Australia.

While the A-League served its purpose in developing Carney into a Socceroo and title winner in two fruitful years, the burning desire to succeed in Europe never dimmed.

A move to English Championship side Sheffield United in 2007 started well under the coach that took him there - ex-England captain Bryan Robson - but soon soured after he was replaced by Kevin Blackwell. Carney found himself on the outer of the starting line-up under Blackwell amidst rumours of a falling out, before moving to Norwich City for a few sporadic appearances.

A return to the A-League was touted, but it was not where Carney saw his future. "I was never coming home," he says.
He's now in Holland with Eredivisie side FC Twente, who at the time of writing sit at the summit of the ladder under former England coach Steve McClaren.

We caught up with the journeyman to ask how he's settling into life with another club on the continent, his hopes for the World Cup and taking on Messi and Rooney again.

So you're recently been back in Australia with more shoulder problems...
I was back for another shoulder reconstruction. I had to get it done as only muscle was holding my shoulder together as I'd just ripped it all apart again. I had the same problem when I was at Sydney FC and now I'm having the surgery once again. Hopefully I will be back playing at the end of February or the start of March. I'd like to be back playing in time for
the Europa League.

After leaving Sydney FC you found yourself in and out of teams in England, like Sheffield United and Norwich City. How was that period for you?
Yeah, it was a tough time and that was another experience in football. Most players go through ups and downs, and a lot of the lads in the Socceroos set-up have all experienced it in the past. When I first signed for Sheffield United under Bryan Robson I felt confident and I was playing well. I had hit my peak when Robson left and a new manager [Kevin Blackwell] came in looking to play the long-ball game. That's not really my style of play, but it did work quite well for the team. I just don't think I fitted into his plans at all. That's just part of football, but that was still a tough time as I thought I should be playing and that makes it frustrating when you're sitting on the sidelines. My main concern was always the World Cup with Australia. What Blackwell did by not playing me was killing me. But I knew that I had to continue keeping focused and training hard for the Socceroos games that were coming up.

How have you settled in Holland since signing with FC Twente?
Things are going well with the team at the top of the league. It's a good club with a lot of good players. I have found myself improving technically as a player. It is definitely a slow pace of play overall, but when you get into the final third it gets very quick. The league will make me a better player for the Socceroos too. I've been playing Europa League games and finding my feet, but unfortunately this injury has hit me now. The team was second last year, lost a few players, but we're still managing to top the league at the moment.

How much game time have had?
I've mainly been coming off the bench. I'd like to be playing more often obviously and to be playing week-in week-out, but when the team is playing well it is hard to complain too much. When I have been playing I've been doing well and I've been pleased with my Socceroos games. It is a little bit of a hiccup now with my shoulder, but hopeful I'll be back soon and be fit for the World Cup come June. I've got a two-year deal here with another year option if they want to take it.

You're working under Steve McClaren who has had a Dutch league resurgence after his poor spell as England manager...
I really like him. He has been good for the team and they love him in Holland. He has signed a new deal based on the great year we have had so far.

He's not still doing that dodgy Dutch accent is he?
[laughs] That's funny, yeah I heard about that! It was kinda funny, eh?

You're not the only Aussie in the FC Twente ranks though...
Yeah, Nikita [Rukavytsya] is here too. I played at the Olympics with him and he is a huge talent and definitely one for the future. So having an Aussie there helps.

Before you signed with FC Twente you had a lot of trials at other clubs, something you seem to have done several times in your career. What's that like as a player trying to impress in such a short space of time?
Trials are hard because you have to prove yourself by being nothing less than absolutely fantastic. There are a lot of good players in Europe so it is hard to get a deal. It comes down to when you do get an opportunity you have to play well then and there. You might only get a few weeks to impress.

Did you come close to returning to the A-League before signing with FC Twente?
No, I was never coming home at that point. I had offers elsewhere, but was just picking the right move. There were offers from Turkey and Greece, but FC Twente were playing in Europe and it was the right club for me. Even though I was under a lot of pressure to move on I still wanted to take my time to find the right club. FC Twente was the ideal move for me.

The Socceroos squad is light on A-League players. Did that put you off returning?
The likes of [Chris] Coyne, [Mile] Sterjovski and [Jacob] Burns have all been over in Europe for
a long time and are all 30-plus now. With the World Cup coming up, Europe is where the tempo, fitness and top players are. You are a better player for playing in Europe, but the level is getting better in Australia.

Pim insisted that it was better to be training in Europe than playing regularly in Australia. Do you agree with that?
Obviously you want to be playing every week, but getting the chance to train with European-based players does enable you to improve just because of the pace of the game. When I first went into the Socceroos squad from the A-League I felt out-of-place by the sharpness and the pace. When I went over to Europe with Sheffield United I had to sharpen up. Training every day like this is what you need to improve your game, so being overseas certainly helps.

You always seem to put in your best performances for the Socceroos, why is that?
I train hard, I work hard and I always want to improve, but I just feel I have been hard done by at Sheffield United. I know what I can do when I'm given the chance like I have been with the Socceroos. If you are backed by your manager and he has confidence in you then you feel relaxed and you enjoy playing, and that's exactly what Pim has shown to me.

What would you deem a good club season for you ahead of the World Cup?
We've got a great team which has played European football and we're still in the Europa League, so it's a great club for me to be at. I need to knuckle down between now and the end of the season and I'll be alright.

For the Socceroos you're seen as a natural understudy and future successor to Scott Chipperfield on the left-hand side...
Chippers has been in the side for such a long time and he is similar to me as he plays midfield for his club but left-back for the Socceroos. The way we play as full-backs for Australia makes us like wingers and we need to get forward. So it's ideal for a midfielder like me to fit into that system at left-back. Luckily with the Socceroos we have two holding midfielders to offer protection for us to get forward.

Pim's system of 4-2-3-1 has become such a constant for the Socceroos, but how do you rate it?
We've been playing it for the last few years in the Socceroos and I enjoy the set-up. People think that playing with one striker is defensive, but it's not when you have attacking players behind him moving forward to support the attacker. Then you have a player like Timmy [Cahill] who can support the striker and play upfront himself. Add-in Harry Kewell on the left and that's an attacking formation. It's a great formation that suits the players we have.

You had been capped for the Socceroos before the last World Cup, but you didn't travel to Germany 2006...
I was only 21 at the time and was still developing in the A-League. So I was probably a bit too young for the World Cup at the time. It would have been great to go, but it was too early for me. I'm a lot better player now than what I was then.

What are your expectations for the World Cup later this year?
The way we're playing at the moment, if we can keep everybody fit, then we can do better than we did last time over in Germany. Everyone's expectations will be high as we qualified strongly with two games to spare. Plus the slightly cooler weather over there will also suit us. I'd love to get the chance to play England, that would be a great game for us. I played with Rooney as a youngster and would love to play against him over in South Africa too.

How have you been coping with those higher expectations on the team this time?
That is normal when a team has done well like we have in recent times. You can only do your best, but when it comes to playing the likes of England or Brazil, we're still going to be the underdogs. Your aim should always be to win it, but we will try and get out of group and then see what will happen.

Who will be the Socceroos most important players in South Africa?
We need Timmy and Lucas [Neill] to both be on-form, but to succeed you need everyone playing well as a whole. Every player will need to play to their max if we are going to go past the group stages and then go on to do better than we did in Germany. You need that team performance, but you also need that bit of individual brilliance or class to get the winner sometimes in games.

Any opposition players you're looking forward to taking on?
Messi - the guy is unbelievable. A class act who I've managed to play against twice now, once in Melbourne and then at the Olympics. I'd love to take Rooney on again at the World Cup, just to have a go at him.

Germany, Ghana and Serbia. What do you make of the Socceroos group?
It's a tough group with three tough games but there are harder groups there. We can win every game, but every game will be very tough too. If we can get a result out of the first game against Germany that would put us in a great position. I'm not scared of meeting any of those players as we can match anyone.

The World Cup is seen as a shop window for talent. Will that thought cross your mind as you're playing?
Definitely, it's the world stage and you want to perform on it. If you can do it at the World Cup you can do it anywhere.

Are you apprehensive about picking up a knock during your last few club games before the tournament starts?
When you worry about getting an injury that's when you end up getting one as you start backing out of challenges and that's when you pick up the injuries. If you do get injured there is nothing you can do about it.

So, the big question: can Australia win the World Cup?
Yes, if everyone keeps fit and hungry we will have a good crack.

David Carney is wearing a Nike N98 Track Jacket, first worn by the 1998 Brazil team. The new redesigned jacket features bonded seams and double-welded, zippered pockets. For stockist information call 1300 656 453. 

This article appeared in the March 2010 issue of FourFourTwo magazine. To buy back copies of this issue call 03-8317-8121 with a credit card to hand.