The value of foreign-developed players: What Football Australia can learn from Morocco for Socceroos success
Morocco is not the only nation to find success with a large contingent of foreign-developed players - and the Socceroos can join that list.
Midfielder Richard Garcia has been ruled out of the Socceroos’ Asian Cup squad due to injury with youngster Tommy Oar to take his place.
Garcia, who plays for English Championship club Hull City, suffered a recurrence of a knee injury during in his club’s 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace in early December.
He is expected to undergo surgery which will leave him out of action for up to a month.
The versatile midfielder joins strikers Josh Kennedy and Archie Thompson on the sidelines for the tournament, which kicks off in Qatar on January 7.
Head Coach Holger Osieck called on 19-year-old Oar, who has pulled on a Socceroos jersey only three times since his national debut last March.
The impressive Queenslander has been playing for Utrech in the Dutch league and recently came on as a substitute in a Europa League clash against Liverpool where his impact was widely recognised.
The Socceroos will play an international friendly against the UAE on Wednesday (0130 AEDT on Thursday) and will kick-off their Asian Cup campaign against India on Monday January 10 (1215am AEDT Tuesday January 11).
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.
Morocco is not the only nation to find success with a large contingent of foreign-developed players - and the Socceroos can join that list.
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
Socceroo Cameron Burgess has put Ipswich within touching distance of the Premier League after a 2-1 win over Coventry in the English Championship. Kieffer…
Who stood out from the Australians both here and overseas in a busy week of the world game? Goalkeeper - Mathew Ryan- 3-0 win…
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?