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Just as quickly as he entered the international stage, Tom Rogic was exposed to the fickle nature of football.
Everything had been going so well. In the space of two years, he’d signed his first professional contract with the Central Coast Mariners, made his Socceroos debut and swiftly graduated to the lights of UEFA Champions League football after impressing Celtic coach Neil Lennon during a training camp in Spain.
Life in Glasgow started with a bang, too. Rogic was named man of the match in his debut for Celtic and went on to make seven appearances for the club in the 2012-13 season.
The then-20-year-old had swiftly adjusted to the biggest challenge he discovered when switching from the A-League to the Scottish Premiership – having such little time on the ball. It was an impressive transition given much of his game revolves around having the ball at his feet and orchestrating play.
For some Aussies, moves to Europe often come prematurely, but for Rogic it was ideal timing as he progressed ten-fold in a matter of months.
He learned to be sharper, fitter and much more aware of his surroundings. They’re all traits we’ve witnessed with Rogic in the Socceroos shirt, his vision is well ahead of his opponents, particularly in this stage of World Cup qualifying.
But the Tuggeranong junior’s fortune proved temporary. Limited chances under Lennon led to a loan move to Melbourne Victory in January 2014. It was supposed to be a chance to pick up some match fitness in preparation for the World Cup and the following season in Scotland.
Persistent injuries meant his impact upon returning to the A-League was limited and culminated in his omission from the Socceroos squad taken to Brazil.
Derailed but certainly not defeated, he returned to Celtic to recuperate, aiming to return to full fitness by January’s Asian Cup.
More bad news followed in September last year, though. He’d be ruled out of a second major tournament in the space of six months. The man expected to spearhead the Socceroos’ campaign would not even make it back to home shores.
The constant setbacks also coincided with a change at the helm at Celtic as Ronny Deila succeeded Neil Lennon in June 2014. After months on the surgery table, Rogic would have to start all over in 2015.
More than a year after his last appearance on a football pitch, Rogic returned to the bench for Celtic’s last two games of the 2014-15 season.
In August, he made his first start for Celtic since September 2013, scoring the opener in a 2-0 win over Partick Thistle. And he’s not taken a step back since.
With 15 appearances under his belt – the same as he’d managed in the previous two seasons at the club – Rogic has become a mainstay in Delia’s line-up.
His superb goal on Sunday – a fifth in the league this campaign – was a true testament to the quality he has proven this season. Some players never truly recover from a lengthy layoff, but Rogic has thus far risen to the lofty expectations that faced him since moving to Scotland for $750,000.
The last six months has been a remarkable turnaround for a player faced with so much disappointment last year.
The success of Mass Luongo at the Asian Cup masked Rogic’s absence, but the midfielder’s presence during the World Cup qualifiers this year has showed how key he will be at Russia 2018.
With Luongo in particular struggling for game time since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took over at Queens Park Rangers, Rogic is inarguably the most successful Socceroo in Europe at present.
What a joy it is to see an Australian dominating at a big club. 2015 has proved extraordinary for Rogic, long may it continue.
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