This week the Australian game said goodbye to James Holland as the lure of a foreign career proved too much for another of the A-League’s brightest prospects.
At a rumoured cost of $650,000, Holland is following in the footsteps of a number of others who have made the move to the Netherlands, all with varying degrees of success. Before him, Brett Emerton, Brett Holman and Joey Didulica moved to Holland directly from Australian football.
But the former Jet should look no further than Jason Culina for inspiration, as his European adventure begins.
It’s crucial for Holland to note that the now-established Socceroo hardly had it easy in his formative days in the Netherlands.
Signed by Ajax, Culina never gained a foothold for the Dutch giants, making just three first-team appearances around loans for De Graafschap and Belgium outfit Germinal Beerschot.
Success did eventually come to Culina after a move to FC Twente, but the moral should not be lost for Holland.
Like Culina, he will have to be patient as he looks to eke out his career. Indeed, Holland has already had to test that patience as the transfer to AZ dragged on through December to January.
He knows he must start from the bottom at the Dutch club. As well known as Holland is among Australia’s football followers, his move hasn’t even rated a mention on AZ’s official website.
While many have raised voices at the A-League’s recent player exodus (Jade North and Mile Jedinak have also made high-profile moves overseas), Holland’s potential is perhaps above what can be catered for in Australia.
Deemed worthy of only standby status for Australia’s underwhelming Olympic campaign, his class was all-too evident upon his immediate return from Beijing for Newcastle.
Despite flying in only hours earlier, the three-cap Socceroo’s outstanding potential was clear before he was withdrawn, exhausted, after 79 minutes.
It’s tantalising what Holland can learn under AZ coach Louis van Gaal, who fostered the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and the de Boer twins during his spell with Ajax in the 90s.
Holland is still far from the finished article, a fact already pointed out by van Gaal. Writing in his blog this week, Holland described how he was pulled up by his new coach at training.
“I have seen you shoot, and you have no power, you cannot shoot so you need another option,” Holland claims van Gaal said.
Harsh it may seem, it is just an indication of what is to come. But should Holland respond to the challenge ahead, it will only benefit him and, by extension, Australia.
That prospect alone far outweighs the pain of losing another of the A-League’s brightest footballers to foreign lights.
Green n Gold 2010
Guest
Pim for another 20 yearzzzz!!!!!!!!!!
ItsCalledFootballYouIdiot
Guest
Apart from the players wanting to go overseas, the clubs themselves are not stopping them to any great degree. The trade in players is probably the greatest source of income for most A-League clubs and far outweighs their gate receipts, so if they get a good youngster who attracts overseas attention and hudndreds of thousands of dollars, they're not going to say no. Another benefit of the Youth League for clubs. Holland and Rukya are very good players, but not as good as Burns or Leijer, who are still only getting a run in reserves.
Koala Bear
Guest
Paddy and Onside, I agree; yes longer HAL season is a must and softer surfaces needed to be prepared for Australian conditions .. It can be done even in drought times.. In the recent AU and SFC match on the Adelaide Oval, Travis Dodd said after the match his calf muscles were extremely sore because of the hard surface pitch and this is what I am alluding to that the older players suffer the most on such hard grounds .. The groundsmen must keep in mind that Football is not Cricket when preparing the field ie to say the rectangle field must have enough moisture in it to prevent player injury... ;) ~~~~~~~~ KB
Paddy Higgs
Guest
KB - while the softer european grounds make a difference, most overseas competitions also have far more games in their regular season calendar, so that might balance that one out. but it is great to see stars returning at their prime a la culina, and not when they are past it, a la zelic.
oz world cup
Guest
very exciting for holland, and australia, its always fantastic to see youngsters try to better their careers by signing overseas. will be following it very closely and hopefully see him in the socceroos jerrsey sooner rather then later
onside
Guest
Koala Bear Hard grounds V softer grounds; must make big difference to style of play for sure. The quality of passes from more skilled European team mates might also be a factor regardless of the surface.
Koala Bear
Guest
Let's hope Holland is smart as Culina and he returns to Australia at the age of 28 years old to finish his career at the top.. Instead at the end of his career at 33 yrs old .. It now seems clear to me that coming back in the twilight to play out the last years will not work especially for a striker on the much much, much, harder summer pitches in Australia .. In Europe a player may stretch his career past 35 years, but that's because the grounds are far, far softer and have more give in them compared to the rock hard summer Australian pitches... Come back earlier lads... ~~~~~~~~ KB
Sam
Guest
Kazama Good luck to these guys. We'll be needing a few more world stars when the Kewell's and Cahill's retire. I just hope they don't waste their time like Milligan has. Brett Emerton is a good example of a player who has done it in the best way possible.
Kazama
Roar Guru
Perhaps another A-League young gun may be off to Holland: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24893448-5000940,00.html
Midfielder
Guest
JH is a great player and it is a big cong's to the FFA that it now runs a national comp thats keeps players like Hollan / Burns/ Matty Simon in football rather than in other codes. IMO winning the battle for the great juniors will do more to help football than any other single factor.
onside
Guest
Interesting remark regarding Hollands lack of power.All the games I watch are on television. Players in the EPL appear to be able to produce more powerful shots than A League players. Likewise players from other teams I watch competing in Europe seem more powerful than our local players when having a shot at goal. Is this simply an illusion , or are our A League players behind other parts of the world when it comes to powerful kicking.
The Bear
Guest
Well done to the U/20's captain. I hope he stays match fit for Egypt 2009. My guess is that it will be a few years in reserves and the like (similar to how Nathan Burns will likely be treated in Greece at AEK) before anything of note. Loan wise, AZ has fingers in all sorts of pots, so good luck to him. And it is, up to him.