Celtic first team coach Harry Kewell has admitted that he is ‘baffled by the situation that former hoops hero and fellow Aussie Tom Rogic finds himself in.
Rogic was allowed to leave on a free this summer, despite having one year left on his contract at the club and having just had his best season in years, so it was expected that he would be snapped up quickly by another good club, probably abroad somewhere, as it was clear he was still at the top of his game.
But surprisingly, and despite offers from back home in Australia, the middle east and being strongly linked with joining up again with Neil Lennon in Cyprus with Omonia Nicosia, Rogic is STILL without a club.
It is a very strange situation, especially with the World Cup on the horizon.
In an interview with Fox Sports about life at Celtic for Kewell, the Champions League winner with Liverpool had his say on the matter:
“You mention Tom Rogic around Celtic and they all love him. He was a player that a lot of his teammates respected. They enjoyed playing with him.”
“I’m a little bit baffled to know what’s happening with him. I hope he sorts himself out and I hope he’s ready, because I’m sure he wants to be there (in Qatar for the World Cup). I’m sure he wants to be part of it, but it’s going to be down to him. He needs to be right mentally and physically if he wants to be part of this Australian squad.”
Rogic had the national team manager concerned when he ignored his text messages and pulled out of their crucial World Cup qualifying match recently, and nothing has really been cleared up with what the issue was there.
It is possible that Rogic just needs a mental break from the pressures of football, and maybe that was a reason why Ange and Celtic agreed to let him go on a free at the end of last season.
As supporters, it is hard to comprehend the pressure our players must be under at a club like Celtic, especially being an important player like Rogic, who was at the club for close to a decade.
Yes, players get rewarded extremely handsomely at this level, but it doesn’t magically stop you feeling immense amounts of pressure and anxiety.
I’m sure whatever decision Rogic decides to take, with the next few months in mind and beyond, it will be the best decision for him, and Celtic supporters of course will wish him all the best in whatever he decides to do.
