Josh Grommen is proof Australian footballers can succeed outside the A-League

If you ever wanted proof of just how tough you need to be when you’re a professional footballer, you could take one look at Khon Kaen United central defender Josh Grommen.

Grommen is the cosmopolitan centre-back who often captains his upwardly mobile Thai Premier League side, Khon Kaen United – based in central Thailand.

He’s also a name that should be more familiar to A-League viewers given the Brisbane-born defender – who grew up supporting Brisbane Roar – has long aspired to play in the league.

Returning from a recent shoulder injury, the softly spoken but tough-as-teak defender promptly needed 22 stitches after suffering a brutal head clash in his first friendly back.

But Grommen, who can also play right back, is a player who’s used to toughing things out.

The former Queensland Academy of Sport graduate has bounced around a succession of Australian, Filipino and now Thai sides in his quest to play quality football – and says the standard in Thailand is always improving.

“The Thai League is not as physical as the A-League,” Grommen told me on a recent trip back to Australia.

“But I can honestly say it’s a lot faster-paced than the A-League is.

“The ball is moved around a lot quicker, the players are really agile, and it’s quite a technical league.

“There are a lot of good foreigners that come over here because the money’s good for foreign players too.”

Grommen himself is one of those foreign players.

Born in Brisbane to a Dutch father and Filipino mother, the 27-year-old made a number of appearances for Filipino youth national teams and has been called up to the senior squad on multiple occasions.

But despite once again being called up for the Azkals’ two most recent friendlies against Chinese Taipei and Afghanistan, Grommen hasn’t actually made his full national debut – with that shoulder injury ruling him out of a squad brimming with overseas-based talent.

(Photo by Amphol Thongmueangluang/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Grommen himself is realistic about his options at club level – he’s in the final year of his contract at Khon Kaen – and having frequently been named in the Thai Premier League’s team of the week, the versatile defender has set his sights on turning out for a club with AFC Champions League ambitions.

The preference would have been to do so with Khon Kaen, but a succession of draws midway through last season saw the provincial side – who only recently reached Thailand’s top flight on the back of three straight promotions – finish just above the relegation zone.

“I’d love to try and take that big step up to a league like J2 in Japan or K-League 2 in South Korea, if there are opportunities there,” Grommen told The Roar.

“It’s just that you obviously need to know some people and have the connections.”

Connections are a recurring theme with Grommen, who has struggled to get a look-in at A-League level despite starting his career in the National Youth League with Brisbane Roar.

“As I’ve often said, it’s very difficult to get into the (A-League) system if you’re not already in there,” Grommen explained.

“If you’re out of the A-League – or you’ve never been in it to begin with – it’s very difficult to get into.

“There’s not a lot of opportunities for Aussies abroad, and they like to recycle a lot of the players in the league because there’s not a lot of risk involved.”

Yet if Grommen is frustrated by the lack of homegrown opportunities, he doesn’t let it show.

The affable defender is engaged to be married to his long-time fiancée this year and seems content with whatever the football world throws his way for now.

With Brisbane Roar set to meet Sydney FC in next month’s Australia Cup Final, new Roar coach Ross Aloisi could do a lot worse than cast a glance Grommen’s way if he’s ever short of defensive cover.

But for now, Grommen – whose Khon Kaen side downed Prachuap 4-3 in a thriller overnight – is making the most of being yet another Aussie-born expat getting the job done in a highly competitive overseas league.