Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and first-team coach Harry Kewell have backed their fellow countryman Aaron Mooy to star for the Socceroos at the World Cup.
There was delight from the Australia camp when Mooy joined his former international manager in Glasgow, and despite starting very few games for Postecoglou’s side before the September international break, Mooy has been a consistent pick in the absence of Callum McGregor in Celtic’s midfield.
Kewell, still an icon of Australian football, stated that the pressure of needing to win every week as a Celtic player has set Mooy in good stead to succeed for his country.
As reported by The West Australian, Kewell said: “The amount of pressure that is on the Celtic players…for Aaron to step up and play, and to force his way into the team – it takes a lot because we don’t let anything slide.”
“You have to be at your very best at training to even be in the manager’s mind.”
The Socceroos have been beset with injury and fitness concerns prior to the start of the Qatar showpiece on Sunday, former Celt Tom Rogic missed out on a call-up entirely after barely playing for new club West Brom so far this season, but Postecoglou allayed fears that Aaron Mooy wouldn’t be fit to start for Australia if called upon.
He said: “He’s playing a lot, we had 13 games in 42 days, I think he played the majority of them.
“So no, he’s fit and he’s going well.”
Graham Arnold’s Australia side face World Cup holders France in their Group D campaign opener in on Tuesday the 22nd of November, with Tunisia and Denmark completing the group for the Aussies on the 26th and 30th respectively.
The winners of Australia’s Group D face the Group C runners-up and vice-versa, Group C containing Argentina, Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
Just before the tournament kicks off with Qatar-Ecuador on Sunday, Celtic conclude their Sydney Cup campaign against Frank Lampard’s Everton, a 3:45am kick-off for Hoops fans in the UK.
In other news: Former Celtic treble-winner set to stand for FIFA presidency
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