By Vince Rugari
A debilitating back injury has forced Aaron Mooy into announcing his immediate retirement from football, bringing an abrupt end to one of the greatest careers ever compiled by a Socceroo.
Mooy was the best midfielder of his generation in Australia, playing every single minute at two World Cups and reaching the heights of the English Premier League, where he featured 96 times for Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion, before switching to Celtic in a trophy-laden reunion with former national team boss Ange Postecoglou.
Aaron Mooy has retired from all forms of football.Credit: Getty
His stint in Scotland has proved to be his swansong, with back issues that restricted him to a lesser role for Celtic in the second half of their most-recent season worsening to the point where he has decided to call it quits at age 32.
A quiet, softly spoken lad from Sydney’s western suburbs, Mooy did all his talking on the field, where his unique blend of artistry and tenacity in midfield made him a Socceroos mainstay for a decade, earning 57 caps and playing a starring role in the team’s record-breaking campaign in Qatar.
“I’ve been lucky enough to live out my dreams of playing for Australia,” Mooy said.
“As a young kid, starting out in football, you watch the national team on TV and imagine yourself there one day - to have lived that is something I’m truly grateful for. I’ve had the honour of playing alongside some of the best footballers that Australia has produced, creating lifelong friendships along the way.
Aaron Mooy played under former Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.Credit: Getty
“I wanted to thank my teammates, coaches and the backroom staff for all their support and guidance during my time with the Socceroos, the camaraderie amongst the group is something I’ll never forget.
“This has been a hugely difficult decision [to retire], but I feel the time is right for the next generation to be given the opportunity to experience international football. As a group, we were able to set a new bar [in Qatar] for the Socceroos and I believe we have the talent coming through to build upon that as work begins towards 2026.”
Coach Graham Arnold was hopeful Mooy would be part of the team’s tilt for the Asian Cup in January and the next World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026, but began examining alternative options in recent friendlies.
Mooy’s role in the Australian national team’s renaissance of 2022 should be remembered as the stuff of Socceroos legend.
Aaron Mooy, his wife Nicola and their children Skylar and Maximillian celebrate Celtic’s 2022-23 title win.Credit: Getty
He was considering retirement at the start of last year, struggling with COVID-related isolation during a contract dispute with Chinese club Shanghai Port while still grieving over the death of his brother - but eventually relented to Arnold’s pleas and stayed on to help the Socceroos’ shaky World Cup qualifying campaign.
He had not played club football in five months but produced 90 imperious minutes in Australia’s 2-1 win over the UAE in a preliminary play-off, and then 120 more in their famous penalty shootout win over Peru to seal their spot at the World Cup in Qatar.
There, the Socceroos defied all predictions to beat Tunisia and Denmark and reach the knockout stage for just the second time, eventually losing 2-1 in a gripping round of 16 clash against eventual champions Argentina.
“A player like Aaron is a joy to coach, an exceptional talent who embodied the spirit of the Socceroos every time he took the pitch,” Arnold said.
“Aaron would be the first to say he was never the most vocal of players, but he had his own way of leading the group - through his actions. I think that’s something that a lot of our players will have learnt from over the years, he’s left a huge mark on this team and the individuals within it.”
Mooy was a late bloomer who reached the Premier League at a time when Australians were finding it tough to reach any of Europe’s top five leagues, let alone the one that had by that stage broken away from the others as the go-to destination for elite talent.
His springboard was the A-League, where he was one of the Western Sydney Wanderers’ first signings - unveiled on the day the club was born - and then a part of a fearsome attacking trident at Melbourne City with Bruno Fornaroli and Harry Novillo.
The City Football Group’s links led to his Premier League chance, with Manchester City ‘buying’ him off their Melbourne outpost and then loaning him to Huddersfield Town in the Championship, where he helped them get promoted to the top flight and eventually transferred there permanently - and for more money than CFG had paid to acquire the whole A-League club.
At Brighton and Hove Albion, he played alongside current Socceroos captain Maty Ryan, who praised Mooy for inspiring the next generation of players.
“I’ve had the privilege of sharing many dressing rooms with Aaron and I’ve been lucky enough to see him go about his business in club football and for the Socceroos,” Ryan remarked.
“An amazing player who played such an important role for us over the past decade, he’ll certainly be missed. I know he’s not one for the attention an announcement like this brings, but I think it’s important we celebrate what Aaron’s done for the Socceroos and Australian football.”
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