Aaron Mooy as expected was today named in the Australia squad for the World Cup which is now just a few weeks away. The vastly experienced midfielder, who has 53 caps to his name but was without a club in the summer, joined up with fellow Aussie Ange Postecoglou at Celtic and that move has worked out brilliantly for Mooy as he’s established himself in the Celtic midfield, found his match fitness and form, played in the Champions League for the first time and made sure of his place in the Socceroos squad heading to Qatar.
Unfortunately the situation with former Celtic star Tom Rogic is vastly different after his decision to leave Celtic in the summer, without a new club being sorted out. Eventually he joined West Brom where he is going through the stage of trying to regain his match-day sharpness but it’s all come too late as far as making the Socceroos squad for Australia.
Mooy has been speaking to the media ahead of the World Cup squad announcement and started off by saying that playing in the Champions League with this season against some of the top stars heading to Qatar is going to be good for him.
“Yeah, for sure. The Champions League is the best competition in club football,” Mooy said, as reported by Daily Record. “But I am also at Celtic. It is a demanding club. The supporters expect good play and wins in every game. It is a good place to be to improve and to be ready. I am just enjoying the experience, just soaking it all in, trying to play as much as I can.
“The World Cup is obviously always in the back of your head, but I have a job to every three days with Celtic. So I try to think about every game and doing my best for the support.”
On playing against Luka Modric, who he is set to go head-to-head with again in Qatar, Mooy is full of admiration for the Croatian and Real Madrid midfield magician. “He is a fantastic player. I have been watching him for years. He is still doing it now after so many years. He’s a unique player, so comfortable under pressure, he sees the moment to speed the game up or to penetrate with a pass. It is the level we all aim to be at.
“Madrid was a learning curve, obviously. They are a top team with top players. They were very clinical when they got their chances. They controlled the game so well.
“I haven’t played Champions League before. I have played in the Premier League and I have played against top nations at international level. It is similar. Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was tough.”
Mooy’s Champions League debut campaign has left him hungry for more and he senses a real ambition in the Celtic manager for the team to do well in the competition over the next few years. “I get the feeling the manager wants us to win games at this level. That is what we are all going to strive for in the future. Hopefully we are back in the Champions League next season and can do that. That is his target, to be in the competition every year. That means doing well domestically and getting better results in the Champions League.
“It is obviously a lot better to be creating chances than not. That is what you want to be doing in every game. Still, you look at the score against Madrid and it looks like we got a proper doing.
“But I still think we have done well by taking the game to them and creating chances. That is how the manager thinks we are going to improve the most – by going at teams.”
