Mooy Wonder

Despite interest from A-League clubs, staying overseas was always the aim for Mooy, but many were surprised to see him head to Scotland after being in demand from his Premier League club of four years.

“The SPL is a professional league with some big teams. It’s a good league to play in. I’m there to work hard and prove what I can do. It is a positive place to play your football and I’m enjoying my time there,” says Mooy.

While the SPL may seem a downgrade from the Premier League, Mooy has turned his back on reserve football and youth training to play some first-team football – an invaluable learning aid for young players.

Since making his SPL debut in October, Mooy has made a total of 18 appearances in a tough season where St. Mirren avoided relegation by a single place as they sat second from bottom on the ladder. Mooy did end the campaign on a personal high, being awarded man-of-the-match in their final game of the season.

“I have been used as an attacking midfielder so far, a role I enjoy a lot,” says Mooy. “It is just great to be in a club environment with dedicated pros. They’re a good family club and they treat me well. I’ve got good friends in Glasgow now so I’m happy. I’m settled in.

“When I played against Rangers it was in front of 45,000 people! That was brilliant. But I like the pressure. Crowds like that are why I play football.”

Even though Mooy did not mention it to us, he played the full 90 minutes at Ibrox and set up St. Mirren’s only goal of the game when his cross was despatched into the net by Darren McGregor’s superb volley. Eventual champions Rangers edged out their struggling opponents 2-1 that day, but Mooy got the sort of precious first-team experience he had been so craving for four long years in the Bolton stands.

Mooy has since extended his St. Mirren contract by two years, which will keep him there until the end of the 2012/13 season, and with regular first-team football, especially in such good company, the next target for Mooy is making similar regular appearances for Australia.

“Right now I’m just concentrating on the Olympic team because that’s the next level for me. I’m just going to try and work hard, do my best and try and get into that team.”

Olyroos Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar shares a similar view, drafting Mooy into the squad for the two local Yemen games. With London 2012 just over a year away now, Mooy will feel that with a further year of regular progress at St. Mirren the trip down south to London is a strong chance. Mooy has played a prevalent role at Australian youth representation level for a few years now, the highlight being named player of the tournament in the prestigious Terborg Toernooi competition while playing for the Young Socceroos against the likes of youth teams from Liverpool, Ajax and Valencia.

Mooy has already found himself on the fringes of the Socceroos team, including in 2009 when he was called into the squad for the friendly versus Ireland. While a full cap did not materialise it seems a matter of when rather than if Mooy will get his Socceroos debut. Especially with a lengthy qualification campaign for Brazil 2014 on the horizon.

“It [Brazil 2014] is obviously in the back of my head. I want be ready for that so I’m going to push myself as much I can and hopefully by that time I’m doing well. St. Mirren were great too, as they put in my contract that I can go to all the qualifying games even though they are not all FIFA dates.”

The Socceroos will need an extended squad of talent to make Brazil 2014 and the emphasis will not just be on getting results, but blooding the players who are likely to start in Brazil too. Mooy will be in the thoughts of Holger Osieck as a player who could emerge, but it won’t be easy for Mooy, especially with Brett Holman’s transformation from outcast bit-part player, to one of the first names on the Socceroos team sheet. But we are getting ahead of ourselves seeing how Mooy could dislodge Holman. He needs to start making the Socceroo squads first, but after turning his back on life in the Premier League shadows, first-team football and further Young Socceroos appearances bode well for this burgeoning Socceroo star.   

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