Marauding Mariners attacker Tom Rogic looks set to depart these shores in January and make a dream move overseas.
The most likely target seems to be England, and Premier League strugglers Reading, who previously tried to sign the Canberra product.
There’s little doubt that Rogic is one of the most technically gifted and exciting players we have produced in recent years. He is a joy to watch, a genuine match-winner and entertainer.
If all goes as it should, he should enjoy a long Socceroo career and excel in Europe over the next decade. But with his transfer about to be completed, it’s worth asking – is the timing right?
Is Rogic leaving now good for the player and his club? And is his destination, Championship-bound Reading, the right one?
We must remember that Rogic is only 20-years-old and is in just his first full A-League season. He has played just 22 games for the Central Coast, since joining them in January 2012, managing five goals and three assists.
A few years ago he was playing more futsal than football.
But we also must remember that Rogic is somewhat of an old head on young shoulders. He has slotted into the table-topping Mariners outfit with ease.
He has shrugged off the pressure of being the only Australian playmaker in the competition and his Socceroos debut against Korea displayed that he has little fear. He took on the Korean defenders with the ball at his feet and was not over-awed by the occasion.
As this interview shows, Tomas Rogic is a bright, well-spoken individual. He appears easy-going and unfazed by his rise.
However, at the same time, his recent red card and three-game suspension against Sydney FC also shows he is still learning. He is not the finished article yet and has some maturing to go.
In England he can expect more physicality, more pressure and a quicker game all-round. He will be in a fish bowl and there will be no let up.
It can be argued though that Rogic has little else to achieve in the A-League. Sure he could be more dominating, he could get more games under his belt and score more goals. But he is 20 and still developing, not to mention already one of the best players in the competition.
Where would be best continue to develop – in the A-League or abroad? Rogic needs new challenges and goals to progress. He will arguably do that more efficiently with better players around him.
England might not be the best place for him, a slower league with a more technical focus might be more appropriate, like Holland or Italy. The worse thing would be for the former Futsalroo to depart and not play any senior matches, like his old teammate Musti Amini who joined Borussia Dortmund.
But Reading has indicated that they will play Rogic, and that they want him bad. That is a good sign. There is also a core of Aussies at the club, in keeper Adam Federic and midfielder Ryan Edwards, which should make him feel more welcome.
For the Mariners it is a similar story – forced to sell one of their best players at a crucial point in the season. But we must remember that the A-League is a player developing and a selling competition. It is normal for our best and brightest to move overseas.
Global football is a shop window. Better for the Central Coast to sell Rogic now and make a good profit on his sale than to keep the kid until the end of the season and then he leaves for nothing when his contract expires.
There is no exact science when it comes to Australian players heading overseas to play. Some make it, some don’t. There are many factors to consider. But the 6 foot 2 inch playmaker from Griffith with the freakish ability has a better chance than most to succeed.
It is a sink or swim environment in the UK, and I think he will swim.
Follow John on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Nestory Irankunda was denied a parting gift in his final A-League appearance before heading overseas, with Central Coast's Danny Vukovic pulling off a spectacular…
Central Coast Mariners are premiers of A-League Men for the first time in 12 years after defeating Adelaide in the season finale.
This weekend, a year long odyssey ends in either triumph or heartbreak. After taking the longest possible route - twelve matches, seven opponents, six…
Central Coast sit second behind Wellington, and a victory over Adelaide will see them finish the regular season on top of the ladder.
Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
