All this palaver about young Bradden Inman being overlooked by Pim Verbeek and Football Federation Australia is a bit laughable.
If you missed the story last week, it was reported that the 17-year-old, who made his Newcastle United debut in February against Manchester City, had been called up the Scotland under-19s on the basis if his mother’s nationality.
There followed an interview in the News Limited press quoting Inman as saying: “No one’s been in contact with me or anything. My goals are playing for Newcastle’s first team, and either playing for Scotland or Australia, maybe in a World Cup. At the minute playing for Scotland, it’s a lot better.
“If you travel to Australia you’ve got to sit on a plane for 24 hours and you don’t play matches that are as good. So, at the minute, it’s Scotland.”
Stay with Scotland, then, Bradden.
If “at the minute” you feel Scottish, then you have no business playing for Australia.
And if you think proverbially holding a gun to the head of the national coach to pick you is going to work, think again.
Verbeek doesn’t go in for that sort of brinkmanship. And besides, it’s not like you’re playing for a top English Premier League side in Europe and setting the world on fire.
If you’d secured a starting spot then perhaps Verbeek might be intrigued, but he’s got a surfeit of players “in that position” (ask Nicky Carle) and what makes you think you’ve got what it takes to jump the queue?
And far from your youth (17) being a carrot for Verbeek, it’s likely it actually works against you. Verbeek wants experienced players for his World Cup campaign and experience comes with age.
How many games has the very capable Matthew Spiranovic played for Australia under Verbeek? Or James Troisi, who also came off the bench for the Magpies? Or Dean Bouzanis?
Hardly any, or, in the case of Bouzanis, none at all.
There is the age-old issue of “locking in” players, especially those of Croatian origin, but the Socceroos really don’t need you right now.
And, frankly, if you think Scotland, a country you’ve probably seen more of in reruns of Rebus than in real life, is “a lot better” than the country of your birth, the country where you spent the first 14 years of your 17 years on this earth, then you have some maturing to do.
I’m sure you’re a very good player, the “next Harry Kewell” (how many times have we heard that sobriquet in the past decade?), but the Socceroos need players who burn for the green and gold, heroes like Tim Cahill (who spent years fighting FIFA to play for Australia after making the mistake of representing Western Samoa when he was a teenager).
We do not need mercenaries of convenience.
Because of your age, I’m prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt. Or at least put down your comments to the receipt of bad advice.
Australia, a football nation on the up, one match away from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, owes you nothing right now.
You, however, owe it more than you think.
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Football articles
- Phoenix need more than flash in the pan crowds (133)
- ‘New football’ fans may help save the game in Australia (124)
- Does Tasmania have a case for A-League inclusion? (119)
- What happened in Port Said was not a football riot (118)
- Magilton struggling to make a mark (68)
- Socceroos screwed over by FIFA, again (41)
- Gulf influence cripples the FFA again (40)
- Departing Lavicka has players’ respect
- Victory gain Spanish recruit for Mariners
- Melbourne derby reveals tale of two journeys
- Midweek regional matches not hitting the mark
- O’ so close for John: How JON almost landed the biggest job in sport (13)
- Capello ‘walks’ from England’s top job (13)
- Fabio Capello quits as England manager after Terry fallout (4)
- Melbourne derby reveals tale of two journeys (0)
- O’ so close for John: How JON almost landed the biggest job in sport (13)
- Capello ‘walks’ from England’s top job (13)
- Why Manchester United are never really beaten (13)
- Die Lowen a chance for a Bundesliga rise? (2)
- Hey, Victory! Give them kids a go (9)
- The problem with Melbourne Victory’s ‘hole’ season (25)
dasilva said | March 11th 2009 @ 7:00am | Report comment
I don’t think you should be too fooled by TIm Cahill attempt to play for Australia. I think Cahill is a fantastic player and a legend of the game but don’t forget that he fought hard to play for Republic of Ireland for the World Cup 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2002/1820871.stm
About Inman
I agree to the extent especially as I have little time for players who want to represent a country they never ever lived in. If he feels more Scottish then Australian then I think it’s a disgrace.
However I believe that you are confusing the issue. This is not about Pim Verbeek picking Inman for the full socceroos squad as so far Inman and Pim has absolutely zero reason to do so. Also Inman is only playing for the Scottish under 19 team not for the senior team. This is about Jan Versleijen selection of the young socceroos or now deceased manager of Martyn Crook selection of the Joeys.
Just have a brief look of the youth squad and you’ll see zero european players in the joeys and only about 6/23 euroroos in the young socceroos. There are many youth players in europe that never get monitored or contact by FFA and as most of these euroroos are dual nationality (helps avoid work permits), they are often monitored by other countries such as scotland, croatia, greece, wales etc. It’s very common for these players to complain that they never get contact from the FFA and often they have to used the media to get selected aka only spiranovich would have been picked for the socceroos AFTER Croatia tried to poached him and only Dean Bouzanis was picked for the Olyroos warm up match and now willing to make himself available four Young socceroos AFTER he played for Greece under 19 and there was a media outcry about it.
Why aren’t people monitoring players who are making waves in Liverpool or Newcastle United youth squad. Why didn’t anyone called them up to the under 17 joeys to monitor their progress and assess their talents and keep them in the loop? Do they seriously believe that the state institutes youth development is better then Liverpool/Newscastle United? It’s sheer negligence from FFA. Say what you want about the patriotism of defectors but one thing you have to say about those poaching countries is that at least they make the players feel wanted and welcome to their team.
danny said | March 11th 2009 @ 8:02am | Report comment
jesse, i tip my hat to you. well said.
however, at the same time, as dasilva said: why aren’t the ffa making a concerted effort to keep in touch with overseas australians? this ‘i haven’t heard from them’ is becoming something of a recurring theme.
sledgeross said | March 11th 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
I agree Jesse.
Bradden, I know you are a kid, but if you dont want to play for Oz, then f*ck off pal. Just because you have played a few games in the premier league as a teenager doesnt guarantee anything (just ask Neil Kilkenny, who attracted rave reviews for Birmingham).
Yes, FA should be more proactive in tracking these young blokes, but if they dont have the ticker or courage to play for Australia, let them play for their second choice countries. I actually follow lower league Scottish football, and let me tell you, some SPL teams wouldnt even make League One in England. It is a shadow of its former self. Your furphy about the distance, well, South Americans have a way to travel, and I highly doubt you would be travelling on a cargo plane.
Talking about playing against weaker teams, ok, there are some top European teams, but some crappy ones too. Im sure it would be tougher playing Uzbekistan and Kuwait than the Faroe Islands, Andorra or Liechtenstein!
Dont be as weak as piss mate.
metalboxhead said | March 11th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Totally agree Jesse. The problem here is that we are dealing with young kids who expect everything here and now, rather than earning representation for their country. I’d also be interested to know how the Scottish born players would welcome him. If he doesn’t have any allegiance to Australia, how much could he have for Scotland considering he plays in England anyhow? What respect does he deserve from the Scottish players who are very patriotic (and would rather boycott the Olympics instead of representing Great Britain)?
Pippinu said | March 11th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
The days of Scotland making the WC are long gone, he clearly needs a football history lesson there.
I agree that Pim need not be distracted by his youthgul mutterings just yet.
Das makes a very good point about how we keep tabs on youngsters and how we put the Joeys together (who have not performed well for the best part of a decade).
Kazama said | March 11th 2009 @ 10:10am | Report comment
In the end, this is about getting a game for an international side. Playing international football increases your exposure (a.k.a. whoring yourself out) and therefore your chances of landing a bigger contract. It’s all about the money, national pride means nothing to a lot of footballers these days IMO. The Scottish team is a lot easier to break into than the Australian one, particularly for a youngster like Bradden, so he is doing what he can to fast track his international career.
That said, I think it is very disappointing footballers have this attitude. And I agree – if Bradden doesn’t give a rat’s about Australia we shouldn’t give a rat’s about him.
Maybe the solution is to organise a meaningless friendly on a FIFA match date and play as many uncapped multi-national youngsters as possible – that way we will always have access to them if we want them and they aren’t going to play for their second cousin’s grandmother’s nation of birth if we don’t.
StiflersMom said | March 11th 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
Nice retort Jesse, I was happy to see a report on 442 this morning with Chris Coyne happy to put Country before club, the passion burns in him, like any team if you want a first team spot you have to fight for it and not make idol threats just to get some attention. We saw with Big Sasho, Pim does not take kindly with players threatening to play for another country if not picked for Australia.
My Message to Bradden, if you don’t love it, P### Off.
Towser said | March 11th 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
Stiflers Mom
Thats the bottom line isn’t it “Passion”. If you haven’t got it you’ll never give 100% anyway.
Arnie cops it as a coach(with justification in my opinion) but his quote of if you cant get a bit of “blood on the Wattle” when playing for Australia holds true.
What goods a half arsed player as far as committment goes when we come up against countries like Japan & Iran let alone supposed minnows like Kuwait.
jimbo said | March 11th 2009 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
Yes and the national coach and his sidekick Wags the Dog are paid big money to scour the world and identify appropriate talent for the national team and should be in contact with them.
If he is as good as they say he is – as good as Kool – and about to make a debut as the youngest ever “Aussie” kid to play in the EPL then make the effort to give him a few minutes against Ireland, like we did for Spiranovic, to seal his fate.
Gareth said | March 11th 2009 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
I love how people just assume the FFA knows about every kid that is in europe. More often than not teenagers just stop playing in australia and pop up in europe somewhere and its not until cases like this where their progress is known. IIRC it was a pure fluke that we found out Kilkenny (or was it Wesolowski?) grew up in Australia and was eligible. Especially non Institute players are impossible to track as they’ve had even less contact with the state federations.
The truth of the matter is all people know about this Brad Inman is that he has sat on the bench and his nickname is Kaka. As for making the bench, correct me if im wrong but aren’t the sixth and seventh spots on an EPL bench reserved for youth/reserve players that have come through the club’s youth system. Its an achievement but its hardly an indication he is the next Kewell (shudder…).
On another note though, how are these ‘third party countries’ able to claim products of other countries? England and Australia have produced Inman but Scotland claims the spoils? How can a country that has contributed in no way to his development as a footballer claim his as one of their own. Same with Bouzanis and greece. It doesn’t make sense.