Former Socceroo Tommy Oar quits professional football at age of 30
He’s only 30 but a former Socceroos whiz-kid has decided to retire from professional football.
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Former Socceroos prodigy Tommy Oar has retired from professional football at just 30.
Having been compared to Harry Kewell when he made his Socceroos debut as an 18-year-old, attacking weapon Oar made 28 appearances for the national team and was part of Australia’s 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asian Cup squads.
After debuting in the A-League for the then-Queensland Roar in 2008 when he was 17, Oar moved to Europe less than 18 months later to join Dutch outfit FC Utrecht.
He stayed there for five years before a short and unhappy spell in England with Ipswich Town.
Oar soon returned to the A-League to rejoin the Roar in February 2016, but was on the move again in June 2017, joining Cypriot outfit APOEL.
However, 14 months later, Oar was again back in the A-League, this time with the Central Coast Mariners, where he stayed for two seasons before joining Macarthur FC, where he spent the final two years of his professional career.
“I have been fortunate to meet some wonderful people over the last 14 years, travel to and live in some amazing places, enjoy some incredible moments with teammates and staff, and I am extremely proud of what I have been able to achieve,” Oar said.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support since I was a young boy, allowing me to achieve my football dream.
“I’m excited for the future and continuing my passion and support for football from the sidelines.”
Meanwhile, Football Australia has shown interest in hosting the next Asian Cup, but only if the tournament is shifted to February 2024.
The tournament was to be staged in China in June-July next year, but the Chinese Football Association pulled out of hosting the event due to the ongoing ramifications of Covid-19.
FA can’t host the tournament in the same period because Australia is a co-host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which starts next July.
“Our preference would be to host (the Asian Cup) in February 2024,” an FA spokesman said.
“We are liaising with governments at all levels to gage interest levels before contemplating a bid, as any events of this stature require significant government funding and support.
“Depending on the above, we may or may not be submitting a final bid to host.”
Bids are due at the end of August, with a decision on the new tournament hosts to be made in October.
Originally published as Former Socceroo Tommy Oar quits professional football at age of 30
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