Australian midfielder Tom Rogic will join Celtic in Marbella as Neil Lennon’s squad prepare for the second half of the season.
The 20-year-old fits the ‘recruitment profile’ that Celtic have followed recently with the club ideally placed to offer Rogic the next step in his career.
In his second season playing for league leaders Central Coast Mariners Rogic is breaking through into the Socceroos national side and looking to advance his career by moving away from the flourishing A-League.
The midfielder is attracting the attention of clubs across Europe with Reading furthest down the line towards making a signing move.
To find out more about Rogic I discovered the football Australia website where Paul Johnson produced a balance piece on where Rogic’s career currently stands. From reading between the lines it seems that Celtic would be an ideal fit for his career development.
Looking at a possible move to Reading Johnson asks: “Is a move to Reading really good for Tomas Rogic, emerging Socceroo?
“Of course a move to the EPL would be huge for any player, but Reading is not just a move to an EPL club. It’s a move to a club who in all likelihood are moving back to the more “agricultural” style of the Championship next season.
“Reports suggest that to clear any visa issues, Rogic will have be thrown straight into Reading’s relegation melee, rather than getting time in the reserves to acclimatise.
“Reading have delusions of Premier League grandeur, but they can’t back them up and with just two wins in 21 matches and joint bottom of the table, they are a prime relegation candidates.
“Tom Rogic, as talented as he is, will not change that situation. It’s not to say Rogic isn’t a good footballer but he’s still learning his craft and being pitched into the throes of a relegation battle hardly seems the ideal development pathway.
“What would help him more would be a move to a top-tier side in a country with a more technical focus; Italy, Spain even Germany where former A-League stars Mitch Langerak, Robbie Kruse and Mustafa Amini are plying their trade would likely suit Rogic’s style of play better. Plus he is still learning the game.
“Anyone who has watched the Mariners will tell you that while Rogic is clearly amongst their best, he is far from the finished article – and I’m not just talking about the match against Sydney FC where he was out-of-sorts before getting sent off.
“Like many youngsters with pace and great ball skills, Rogic can beat defenders but he can make the mistake of taking on one too many and his finishing is often lacking – does that sound like a relegation battler?
“If he goes to Reading the pressure to perform will be immense and if he doesn’t live up to expectations he could quickly find himself on the outer with fans and the manager of the club, he certainly wouldn’t be the first to fall to that fate.
“And then what happens? How does he respond? Does his confidence get shattered?
“It’s all food for thought for Rogic; the decision is his but it might be wise if he waits a little longer to make a move to Europe, because Reading’s current situation and future are both far from ideal.”
Perhaps some of our Australian based supporters can add their opinions on Rogic, how well suited is he to Celtic and how does he compare with the midfielders that the club currently has?
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Rogic has great vision, good transition pace and is strong In defence as well. He single-handedly ripped apart my team (Sydney fc) a few months back in a nightmare drubbing for us (Del Piero was missing that day) with sublime passing and speed through the centre third of the field.
The biggest problem he has is temperament. In the return game Sydney FC had with the Mariners two weeks ago, he was much more closely marked and was visibly frustrated, leading to a late red when he lunged (while in possession of the ball no less) two-footed at Rhyan Grant. He will probably be a development player but we’ve seen a few of our development players really step up this year in Watt and Twardzik so their is no reason he won’t step up. He also won’t visibly sulk if a pass doesn’t come to his feet like the last two Australians we’ve had:) (legends they were… but)
Cheers,
Scott
we need some flair, and he fits that bill. lets hope lennon can shape him into a team player if he gets a contract with us.