Former Coerver® Australia kid Tom Rogic has this week signed for Scottish Champions Celtic FC from Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners on a four-and-a-half-year deal with a transfer fee of £450,000 being quoted. Tom has had a fantastic season in the A-League where he has played 24 times scoring five goals which had put him on the radar of a host of professional clubs in Europe.
The 20-year-old has been on trial with Celtic on their recent winter training camp in Spain and, work permit permitting, will join the squad and be available for selection for the re-start of the SPL season at Parkhead against Hearts on Saturday 19th January 2013. A host of Premier League™ clubs, including Fulham, QPR and Reading, were also said to be keen on signing Rogic but Celtic was the preferred destination for the Australian International midfielder.
Former Celtic midfielder Michael McGlinchey, who was a team mate of Rogic at A-League side Central Coast Mariners, feels that he could be the missing piece in Neil Lennon’s Celtic jigsaw and said “When Tom found out Celtic were interested I said it would be a great move, he had other offers but I told him he had to go to Celtic and I know he was keen on going to Spain with them to see their set-up. He was excited about finding out what the club is all about. Tom’s well capable of making a real name for himself in Scotland. He’s already in the Socceroos squad and over here everyone is talking about him as Australia’s new wonderkid”. (see below image of Tom Rogic playing for the Australian National Team).
“From what I’ve heard, Celtic need a No.10 type player to unlock defences with killer passes, especially in games at Parkhead, Tom could do that, he has all the attributes to play that role. We play 4-2-3-1 and he operates just off the striker. Tom likes to play between the lines, he has a great left foot and an eye for goal. He has an unusual style and is one of those guys who just seem to glide with the ball. He’s the type of player Celtic fans will enjoy watching”.
McGlinchey was stunned by Rogic’s quality when he turned up for training with the Mariners last season. He appeared after winning a talent competition that saw him named one of the eight best young footballers in the world. And McGlinchey isn’t surprised that a year after joining them, clubs such as Celtic, Reading, Fulham and QPR were after his signature.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who left Celtic in 2009 and is now a regular in the New Zealand national team, said: “It’s incredible to think Tom has only been a full-time pro for 12 months – his progress has been fantastic. He was still playing Futsal about a year ago. He was in a squad that went over to England and that’s when Reading were keen on him but they couldn’t get a visa. He joined us towards the end of the season and we couldn’t believe how good he was. Tom has real quality and he’s different as he’s 6ft 2ins and can play as an attacking midfielder or up front”.
“He’s unusual because, despite his size, he’s got great feet, he’s just a terrific footballer and I’m not surprised so many teams were after him.”
Everyone at Coerver® Coaching is extremely proud of Tom, who adds his name to the long list of players to have developed under the Coerver® programme and have gone on to fulfil their dream of being a professional footballer, WELL DONE TOM!.
