By Jesse Fink
September 4th 2009 @ 3:38am
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North’s career going south
The Newcastle Jets captain Jade North holds up the A-League trophy. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Interestingly, your writer got an email during the week from a well-placed source in South Korea, one of the more powerful figures in the game in that country, telling me a story that appeared in the Australian press last week attributing quotes to Jade North had caused quite a ruckus at North’s club, Incheon United.
The story, which appeared on various websites in Australia, quoted North as saying, “I played three games in a row for Incheon after returning from international duty against Japan and things were going well.
“But for some reason I haven’t even been in the squad in the past five weeks and it’s now just a matter of keeping myself fit and trying to get a move.”
Damning words: trying to get a move.
This, apparently, was all news to Incheon and they bailed up the player demanding an explanation. North, according to my source, “told them that he never talked about wanting to move or mentioned anything ‘behind-the-scenes’… it seems like he said something in Australia thinking that it would never get back to Korea.
“The fact is, the coach [Ilija Petkovic] just doesn’t rate him which has been fairly clear from the beginning – though it can certainly be said that as he only played three games in an unfamiliar position, he never got a fair crack of the whip.”
(Bloody internet. You’ve got to be careful what you say – a few careless words and they can come back to bite you in the arse. Hard. I’ve learned that myself, even though I didn’t always heed the lesson the first time. Such a mad dog.)
Having missed a chance to move in the August 31 transfer deadline, North’s lucky, then, that he seems to have such a loyal champion in Pim Verbeek.
And with Lucas Neill missing from national duty once again, he is sure to assume a leadership role in the centre of defence for Australia Saturday night AEST.
But was the move to Asia worth it?
The $2 million contract was the big sweetener, of course, seriously good money for a middling A-League player, but primarily North made his transfer to Korea to keep himself in the World Cup frame.
Which, at the time, would have seemed like a good idea, with so few Socceroos playing at home. But now they’re filing through inbound immigration like a planeload of Japanese tourists on a package tour.
The rules of the game have changed. Verbeek now seems to have come around to the idea that playing in Australia is good enough and, crucially, all the “returning Roos” have the distinct advantage of being in the national coach’s face pretty much week-in, week-out, though only Jason Culina and Shane Steffanuto have made the trip to Korea. North, meanwhile, is so visible in Seoul he might as well be playing behind the DMZ.
Too late to even return to Australia, though there was talk this week of a return as a guest player to North Queensland Fury, the club he was signed on to as a marquee player before being released for Incheon having not kicked a ball.
Ending up in Townsville is hardly where he would have hoped to end up, but anything’s got to be a better result than North’s season in purgatory at Incheon.
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(17)
tifosi said | September 4th 2009 @ 6:44am | Report comment
Its 2 million dollars. Its worth it.
These players will never see this type money again
albe said | September 4th 2009 @ 7:42am | Report comment
its a cup killer for North. You can’t blame a player for going for the pay day, but in many cases it really does set back your career leaving the A-League. (Which is a nice thing to be able to say about the league now.)
The guys that stay here (or come back) are key players for their clubs … not many who leave end up in the same position. Even after a season or two. Just ask Leijer, Ward, etc.
Up side is these guys do look very sharp after a spell training in a more established league. Key is for them to bring this attitude back to the A-L, which’ll up the intensity and start to remove one reason why players go in the first place.
AndyRoo said | September 4th 2009 @ 8:44am | Report comment
The article that mentioned him wanting a move also said he doesn’t want to go back to the A league and instead go Europe ….. the obvious move for an Incheon reserve would be Manchester United.
I think it turns them around mentally, if it’s all been too easy for them then all of a sudden they aren’t good enough they either wake up and work harder or sulk and dissapear. And to be fair to North he has made some positive statements about training and such so I would guess he is more likely to amke it than not.
Pippinu said | September 4th 2009 @ 8:50am | Report comment
Whether he stays in Korea or in the A-League, he’d be very lucky to be the 23rd best Socceroo.
The only thing he has in his favour is that for three years now we’ve been trying to find a suitable partner for Neill, and North is one of about half a dozen blokes with a bit of a crack at it (but he’s clearly not the answer).
AndyRoo said | September 4th 2009 @ 8:58am | Report comment
Yes if he was a midfielder he would be gone.
He is probably starting on Saturday so I would say he is currently int he Wcup 23 but he has to start playing soon.
whiskeymac said | September 4th 2009 @ 9:32am | Report comment
exactly. 2 million for a middling player is fantastic. pity it didnt all work out for him as he planned but then again thigs have a hbit of not always going to plan. ask NQF recruiters. will he end up moving or rotting on the bench? Elrich hada tough time leaving korea didnt he?
Koala Bear said | September 4th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Jesse,
Jade North’s situation is an interesting conundrum to say the very least…. What does a fringe Roo player do these days…? Stay in the ever improving A-League and get regular Football, which has made an immense leap forward from Ver. 4, or make the move for more cash in a league perceived to be a better one… But sitting on the bench and getting very little football … was it worth it…? $2m too hard to resist I guess…
There is a big lesson here to be learnt for those who have overseas ambitions… The A-League is no longer a league that can be scoffed at and a player in an ever expanding professional A-league should think very carefully about leaving it prematurely… I think he would have been fantastic in the Fury team had he stayed on here with what is shaping up to be the dark horse of the HAL from the evidence I saw in their last outing against Adelaide..
I hope he does take that so called “guest appearance” with the Fury as it would be very interesting to see what would have been with the current players at the Fury now… If the Fury can plug up that hole in defence they could be a very interesting unit for the remainder of the season, especially now that Fowler is running into some very good form… I saw a look of determination on Fowler’s face when the Fox camera’s zoomed in on him just before the kick-off… Indeed he is taking the A-League very seriously and with a pending guest return of North to the Fury, both Jade and Fury will benefit…
~~~~~~
KB
AndyRoo said | September 4th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Well if I was him I would have taken the cash as being an Australian International you should back yourself to get a start in the K league. Perhaps the timing was unfortunate in that if it had of been 2 years out from the World Cup he would have completed that first year which is most likely the one where you struggle and then the second year they would ever be prepared to let him go for close to free (I don’t see them just accepting a loss and allowing him to move permanently to anywhere ther than the A league) or play him.
I expect he would ave won his way into the team by now if he went there earlier.
Davos said | September 4th 2009 @ 10:11am | Report comment
If it went the other way for North, and things had worked out, well the pundits may be pushing the Asian/Korean career move with more intent. As happens from time to time, that the goal posts are moved, as in North’s and Carle’s situation and they are collateral damage. How a player deals with those situations, is the real test of their abilities, as playing on the pitch is only a part of many that a player must maintain form and be flexible within. Personally I would take the challenge for a $2 mill contract to leave the A-league, as Adam Griffths (being a middle aged and really on the fringe Socceroo member) that was for all those who justify this article by claiming North is just that also). And if the reports are right, Danny Allsopp is being hunted or wants to leave for a Qatar club, hence why he didn’t play last night. Ooohh another middle aged fringe Socceroo player trying to make a crust in another Asian league….I can hear it already if you go off this article..”you better think twice about leaving the A-League if you want to play week in week out for your $2000 a week wage” As for North and his comments, well he most likely said nothing that wasn’t being discussed behind closed doors with his current Korean club. It’s pretty plain obvious, no game time, no commitment from coach’s and no commitment from club, oohh yeah player and club happy about arrangement…me thinks not!!
Robbos said | September 4th 2009 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Now lets see I rate North, behind Neill, Spranovic, Milligan, Beachamp,Moore, Coyne & Kisnorbo. How many centre backs are we taking to WC10.
While we have to be proud of the flawed football ratings of 14 in the world, we still have some poor players floating around the squad. Good A-League player, very average at int’l level.
AndyRoo said | September 4th 2009 @ 10:24am | Report comment
Unfortunately Robbos you dont pick the team (I would also prefer to see Spiranovic). And unless he is following in Farina’s footsteps (he loved to give out of work guys a run in the shop window) Pim clearly rates North above Spiranovic, Moore, Beachamp and Coyne based on selections.
Robbos said | September 4th 2009 @ 11:44am | Report comment
Andyroo, I keep forgetting I don’t have Pim’s ear anymore, i think he must’ve lost my number.
I think Pim was hoping Spiranovic was getting more experience playing in the German league, but this is not the case. Clearly doesn’t want to disturb the A-League missing club games that are still fringe players like Coyne & Moore. Beachamp is also in the same boat as Sprianovic, not playing enough.
Or maybe you are right that Pim rates him better than the others. I just don’t see it. North is a good player in A-league, he is not anywhere near the others in class.
But then I don’t pick the teams.
StiflersMom said | September 4th 2009 @ 11:23am | Report comment
Reminds me of the time Carney got smashed on the plane sitting next to an SBS reporter..
AndrewM said | September 4th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
North is technically a poor player.. 90% of the time he gets the ball from the back he is going to boot it long… So fustrating..
Much rather spira, milligan, neill, chippa, moore …
davelee said | September 4th 2009 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
I support North’s move to Korea. Big money and big opportunity. Wouldnt regret that. He’s just gotta turn it around.
Gibbo said | September 4th 2009 @ 1:38pm | Report comment
his career hasn’t gone backwards – he wasn’t rated that highly as an International when he left, and he’s currently about the same. That’s staying the same, not going backwards. Plus when he watches the WC on the telly like the rest of us he’s got a ship load of Korean $$$ to console himself with.
Alextman said | September 4th 2009 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
I think North is going to the WC as a squad player, unless he fails to play any games between now and June. Like many on here, I doubt he is really good enough to go, but he offers more versatility and pace than Coyne and Beauchamp plus he consistantly picks up game time for the ‘Roos and is always in the squad.
It seems PIm is giving everyone an opportunity to step up and take Craig Moore’s place as Lucas’ partner (hence his non-selection), but no-one has taken the chance yet. Personally I’d like to see Milligan and Spiranovic go to SA because there is a strong chance that they will be our CB pairing for the 2014 campaign, but the latter is having a tough time breaking into the Nurnberg first team.