Tougher for Aussies to crack Europe now, say golden era players

Australian players face an uphill battle to re-establish themselves as a force in Europe’s elite levels.

Adelaide’s Riley McGree is among a host of players using the A-League to bide time until he can get a more interest from Europe. Picture: AAP

Australian players face an uphill battle to re-establish themselves as a force in Europe’s elite levels, senior figures in the game have warned.

With Socceroos representation in the world’s strongest leagues at a low point since the Golden Generation a decade-and-a-half ago, experts say a perfect storm of factors has slowed the export of talent to a trickle.

As Graham Arnold’s Socceroos side prepares to face Taiwan on Tuesday night in the third qualifier on the road to the 2022 World Cup, just four of the current squad play in leagues seen as in the world’s top 10.

After charting the decline in that figure from 16 in the squad that beat Uruguay to make the 2006 World Cup, two figures from that squad said the landscape for Australian players had changed in many ways.

“I just don’t know how much interest there is in Europe at the top level in Australian players,” said Craig Moore. “Our stock has dropped, and other leagues around the world haven’t stood still.

“We probably think that the world is tuning in to the A-League but the harsh truth it isn’t, not in terms of clubs recruiting. You could have a player that’s good enough but he just doesn’t get the opportunity in Europe because we’re not on their radar.

“That’s why, as a player, you need the ability to open doors, get noticed. In Asia they’re more interested in Australians now but that’s still not at the same level as the elite in Europe.

“I was lucky enough to get spotted at an U20 World Cup, but as a country we’ve failed to qualify for so many of these tournaments that not only are players not getting enough international exposure at a young age, they’re also missing out on opportunities to impress people.

“That’s a problem over the last 10 years, and there’s no shortcuts, you have to invest in the junior national teams and get them playing more games.

“I also hear a similar opinion in a lot of places, that the character, the desire and hunger of young players now is different.”

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The A-League offers a refuge for players struggling to cut through in Europe, such as Riley McGree, but some see that as an issue too.

Archie Thompson, a Socceroo who spent four years in Belgium, said: “The A-League is a brilliant competition but to a degree it almost makes it too easy for players to come back here if they’re struggling in Europe.

“With the Golden Generation, many of them were forced to stick it out and prove themselves. In the end that benefits the national team when you’ve forced your way to the top through sheer willpower.”

The man who represents the two Socceroos in the Bundesliga, agent Jon Grimaud, said getting clubs interested in Australian players “is a hard sell … I’ve likened it to like trying to sell the Encyclopaedia Britannica in the days of the internet”.

“People think if you do well in the A-League it will automatically translate into a deal overseas, but that’s not the case.”

The Daily Telegraph