It’s fair to say there was something of a circus around Tom Rogic following his departure from Celtic this summer – much of it not his own making.
In fact, Rogic was conspicuously silent for the entirety of his post-Celtic break from football, apparently refusing to even clue in Australia manager Graham Arnold on his plans.
At one point, the Australian media even speculated he might be set for early retirement. In the vacuum of information, speculation took over.
All of that was put to rest after signing from English Championship side West Bromwich Albion this week. And Rogic has been keen to stress his summer was a lot more normal than the rumours suggested. He just wanted to take his time to find the right club.
Speaking for the first time since leaving Celtic, Rogic told the West Brom website: “I heard about the club’s interest in me about a week ago and things moved pretty quickly to be honest.
“I spoke with the manager and I spoke with my agent and here we are. It was a pretty broad chat with the manager. He seems like a really good guy and we had some really good discussions. He told me lots about the club, the team and what football is like here.
“Since I heard about Albion’s interest in me I’ve tried to watch as much of them as possible and I’ve been doing my research. I think it’s fair to say the team hasn’t got the results the performances have warranted. I know that the manager and the boys are looking to change that as quickly as possible.
“I’d been set in one place for quite a while and I was looking for a new challenge and a change of scenery and I certainly have that here, so I’m really looking forward to getting started.
“I have a lot of fond memories from my time at Celtic and I was fortunate to have the perfect send off there. But, as I say, I was looking for a change of scenery and a fresh challenge. I didn’t just want to rush into anything. I think it was important for me to take my time and make sure my next club was the right club. I had some time to reflect and I now feel refreshed and re-energised and excited about the future.”
Observers have noted that Rogic’s switch to the Championship, and playing under Steve Bruce in particular, is something of a surprise.
Many had either expected him to move closer to his homeland or even embark on a continental career at a mid-table club in Germany, Italy or Spain. Dropping into the English second-tier doesn’t exactly scream ‘fresh challenge’.
I was certainly hoping for him to find a team or a league that was a good stylistic fit for his football.
However, the only thing that really matters here is Rogic’s happiness and the decision he feels is best for himself and his family – so good luck to him.
All the best Tom!
In other news, Kyogo wins award; gives first English language interview at Celtic.
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