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Australia's Carl Valeri tries to maintain control of the ball after stumbling as China's Zhang Yaokun and Gao Lin move in during their World Cup qualifier match at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Sunday, June 22, 2008. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
With the opening of the January transfer window this week, much attention has been paid to Socceroos hopefuls departing the A-League but over in Europe there’s several fringe Roos pining for their own moves elsewhere.
Indeed, European or Asian leagues may be seen as the golden land where football is played right up until the World Cup, but getting a regular game abroad is easier said than done.
And Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek has made it clear, regular football is crucial to anybody harbouring ambitions to travel with Australia as part of his 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa.
And that policy shouldn’t simply worry Australian-based players, with plenty of our stars based abroad needing a move to find some elusive game-time.
Midfielder Carl Valeri has already made his move after leaving the club where he’d spent the last five years, Grosseto, for promotion-chasing Serie B club Sassuolo.
Valeri has endured a difficult last few months at Grosseto, after the club offered him an ultimatum of re-sign or don’t play.
He did eventually sign on in December, but given the chance two days into the transfer period, he has elected to jump ship to link up with Sassuolo boss Stefano Pioli, who managed Valeri two years ago at Grosseto.
Valeri knows he will have a battle on his hands against injury-cursed Vince Grella, Australia-based Jason Culina and Turkey-based Mile Jedinak for the defensive midfield positions in Verbeek’s 2010 squad.
And Jedinak certainly is an example of someone who took the initiative to change clubs with the writing on the wall.
Jedinak’s loan move from Genclerbirligi to Antalyaspor at the start of the season has proven a master-stroke as he’s scored 7 goals in all competitions from midfield and rarely missed a minute of his new club’s campaign.
It has catapulted him into Verbeek’s calculations and ultimately put the pressure on Valeri. This kind of competition for places, surely, must be good for Australian football.
Interestingly, Jedinak’s departure from Genclerbirligi came after a change in manager at the club, with German Thomas Doll taking over from Samet Aybaba, who had given the Aussie a regular game.
Indeed, a change in leadership can quickly turn the fortunes of any player and it is a similar dilemma which FC Nurnberg’s Matt Spiranovic now faces.
Spiranovic had previously made it clear he wanted a loan deal out of Nurnberg in the transfer window after falling out of favour under Michael Oenning. A German second tier club appeared a likely destination.
But Oenning’s recent sacking has confused the matter, with new boss (Dieter Hecking) yet to meet with the Australian who is off in the Middle East warming up for Wednesday’s Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait.
And he isn’t the only Aussie in Socceroos camp who’ll be thinking about their club careers right now, with Nick Carle, Shane Lowry, Nikita Rukavytsya and Bruce Djite all needing regular games if they are to have a realistic shot at making the World Cup squad.
And there are a few others, including Italy-based Adrian Madaschi who has spoken of a move to Korea’s K-League along with Jade North who needs a move in the opposite direction.
But nobody is immune from transfer speculation, with Galatasaray’s Harry Kewell linked with Stoke City in the Turkish press this week, while rumours continue about a Scott McDonald move away from Celtic.
Indeed, the rumours and speculation run rife during January’s transfer window, but for several of our fringe Socceroos, this month is a lot more serious.
As they will tell any A-League player hoping for a move abroad, finding the right club isn’t easy.
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