Why the best Socceroos are going to Asia in their career peaks

The likes of Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic already earn millions of dollars per season in Europe, so why is Asia so alluring?

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WHY DOES THE EXTRA MONEY MATTER?

Put yourself in Mooy's shoes for a minute:

You love your job, but you've been doing it for a long time and it's physically and mentally exhausting. You're beginning to think about the end of your career and feel like you've proved everything that you're likely to prove.

Meanwhile, there are a dozen other teammates fighting you every single day for your role. Brighton said themselves that they have many players as good as Mooy in Mooy's position.

Someone comes along and offers you everything that you love about your job - high-level football, packed stadiums, massive star potential - but without any of your current concerns.

No competition for your place, no mental exhaustion worrying about your future. No real prospect of relegation or coaching swaps or unrelenting media pressure. No paparazzi tracking your every move. An end to the unending speculation.

An end to all that and hell, they'll pay you twice as much for the privilege. Why wouldn't Mooy and Rogic cash in on big-money Asian moves?

THE ASIAN QUALITY MYTH BUSTED

First things first, unlike many other nations gunning for the 2022 World Cup, Rogic and Mooy are effectively guaranteed a place in Australia's squad.

The Socceroos just don't have the midfield depth to challenge them, so they can happily play in Asian leagues and still consider their spot on the plane to Qatar (well, Rogic might just have to walk) as safe as can be.

But even if Australia did have the depth playing in Europe, it probably wouldn't matter.

Take Brazil's Oscar for example. He wasn't Brazil's best player, then he went to Shanghai, then he was called up to the Brazilian national team - one of the best teams in the world - on the strength of his form in the Chinese Super League.

To anyone who's still doubtful, the biggest clubs in China and Qatar aren't just a lot better than they used to be, they're as good - if not considerably better - than the best clubs in Japan and South Korea and rivalling bigger clubs in Europe.

All the evidence: friendly matches, Asian Champions League, continental results, even national team results (Qatar winning the last Asian Cup) backs this up.

Celtic just went out of the Champions League in the third qualifying round to Hungarian club Ferencvaros. Last season they went out in the third qualifying round to Romanian club CFR Cluj.

Just because they're British and have a proud history doesn't mean they're better than the better clubs from minnow European nations. So why on earth would they be that much better than some of the richest clubs in the world?

In Asia, the coaching and facilities are better at the biggest Asian clubs as well. Are Neil Lennon or Graham Potter better than Shanghai boss Vitor Pereira? Pereira's managed bigger clubs in bigger leagues and won far more trophies, so probably not.

All of this just means that Rogic and Mooy aren't going to get worse playing at these clubs.

They join safe in the knowledge that if they continue to work as hard as they have been, they'll continue to play at basically the same level when called up to the national team.

STANDARDS ACROSS THE LEAGUE

They may not raise themselves to a higher level constantly playing against the world's best, but they will train alongside the world's best.

Mooy will team up with Hulk, Oscar and Marko Arnautovic - among others - at SIPG, players who would still walk into Brighton's lineup.

The standard of player and coach in the Qatari Stars League is very similar and these leagues (many of which are controlled centrally) are doing an impressive job at spreading talent across each club in the league to enhance the competitiveness.

PLUS...

Rogic could be bought by entire Qatari league then assigned a club

The interesting dynamics at play in a more centralised Qatari Stars League could mean that Tom Rogic is bought by the entire league and then assigned a club post-purchase.

Not that the Scottish Premier League has been competitive throughout Rogic's tenure, mind you.

But when you look at the players themselves, now in their late 20s, after years of playing at such a high, intensely competitive level, the attraction of not having to constantly worry about your future is so easy for fans to overlook.

Graham Arnold summarised it best when quizzed on Rogic's move to Qatar:

"The competitions in the Middle East are coming on very, very quickly and they're very strong, and with a lot of good players."

"The most important thing for me is that Tommy gets the smile back on his face and the enjoyment back in his game, and that he's also going to play football."

The Socceroos coach wasn't just being diplomatic, he was telling the truth.

People think too often that moves to Asia represent the end of ambition for these players, when it's often anything but. If you can look beyond the scepticism, put aside the Eurosnobbery and ignore the agents chirping in their ears about money, fame and a footballer's feared short careerspan, then you can see there is a lot of substance behind the decisions.

At Shanghai, Mooy will be a far bigger star than he was in England. He'll play alongside bigger stars, he'll play in front of bigger crowds and he'll earn more money. There's a very good chance that he'll enjoy it more as well.

The real question here isn't why the extra money matters, it's why playing in Europe matters.