AARON MOOY has taken in quite the ride in 2022, with a calendar year that started in the Far East now approaching a conclusion in the Middle East. A journey that opened in Shanghai has arrived in Qatar, with a move to Glasgow thrown in for good measure.
It would have been impossible to predict such an adventure back in January, with an uncertain future facing a man that had bid farewell to Brighton in August 2020 to go and try his luck in China. A return to British shores appeared a long way off at that stage, but here we are.
Recognition
🍀🇦🇺 Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
Mooy, Mooy, Mooy! ✅
Congratulations to Aaron Mooy who has been named in Australia’s World Cup squad!#CelticFC🏆@Socceroos https://t.co/sXIBqflesy pic.twitter.com/WDRUC0V7YZ
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 8, 2022
Mooy was snapped up by Ange Postecoglou – a coach he knows well – during the summer of 2022 and has offered enough across a short spell at Parkhead to earn further international recognition. He now forms part of an Australia squad that sits at 500/1 in the latest odds on the World Cup winner, but 5/1 to make it out of Group D and 20/1 to reach the quarter-finals.
Progress to the latter stages of FIFA’s flagship event is unlikely – especially after the 4-1 loss to reigning world champions France last night – but all of those in the Socceroos camp are still determined to enjoy every minute of a tournament that only a select few get to experience.
Mooy, who also represented his country at the 2018 Finals, has said: “It is an opportunity that does not come round all that often as it’s only every four years that there is a World Cup and there is no guarantees that you are going to be at a World Cup. It’s a very special thing and I am looking forward to it a lot.”
The talented anchorman has every reason to be upbeat with an impressive impact made in Scotland. Having initially joined Celtic with the expectation of being a squad player, it did not take long for his value to a collective cause to shine through.
With Callum McGregor ruled out of Postecoglou’s plans with an injury against RB Leipzig on October 5, Mooy has taken in 19 appearances across league, cup and Champions League competition. Within those outings, he has contributed three assists.
He may not have been as productive as he once was in England for Huddersfield and Brighton, but his experience and undoubted quality on the ball are being put to good use by a team that is accustomed to dominating possession and requiring somebody to pick the tightest of defensive locks.
Potential
#️⃣1️⃣3️⃣ – Aaron Mooy pic.twitter.com/3O5nsohv7T
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 14, 2022
The potential is there for even more to come from Mooy, who committed to a two-year contract upon his arrival at Paradise, and a mid-season helping of international action on the grandest of sporting stages should do him no harm whatsoever.
Confidence has already been slowly returned to his game, with it easy to enjoy life representing a Celtic side that is expected to compete for every trophy that comes up for grabs.
Mooy is certainly looking and feeling merry, with an action-packed 12 months that are not over yet delivering enough memories to last a lifetime.
