Maclaren on a mission to revive World Cup dream
AMOVE to Germany last summer was supposed to safeguard Jamie Maclaren’s passage to Russia as part of Australia’s 2018 World Cup squad.
But broken promises upon his arrival at Darmstadt meant the striker found himself bound for footballing Siberia at club level and frozen out of his national side as a result.
Faced with the ‘horror’ prospect of watching the Socceroos compete without him at the greatest show on earth, drastic action was needed.
Now, after signing on loan with Hibs until the end of the season, the 24-year-old is confident he can breathe fresh life into his World Cup dreams.
‘It was an easy decision to join Hibs and be happy again because it was a bit of a horror six months in Germany,’ said Maclaren from Hibs’ training base in the Algarve.
‘When I signed for Darmstadt, I was given a contract I couldn’t refuse and was told we’d play with two strikers.
‘But when I rocked up in pre-season, everything was completely different to what I’d been told.
‘The manager Torsten Frings was playing with one striker and we went through a period where we didn’t win for 11 games. I was left sitting on the bench thinking: “I can help!”
‘The reason I left Australia to go to Germany was to progress and become a Socceroo at every camp. But I lost my spot in the national team, so that’s why it was a horror six months.
‘I’d been involved in the qualifiers with Australia and I was in Russia last year for the Confederations Cup, which felt like being at a major tournament.
‘So it was hard sitting in Germany watching the celebrations in Sydney when we qualified in the play-offs against Honduras, knowing I should have been there, too.
‘That’s when it hit home and I basically begged to go out on loan. It would have killed me to be watching the World Cup on TV, while my team-mates were in Russia.’
For Maclaren, the move to Hibs is a break with tradition. His Edinburgh-based family’s footballing motto has always been: Home is where the Hearts are.
Grandfather Donald followed the Gorgie club with devotion, while dad Don was a highly rated youth prospect there before continuing his career in America and Australia.
It seemed written in the stars that Maclaren junior would also head for Tynecastle one day.
But, despite some interest from Hearts in his services, he will be in Hibs colours instead when the teams clash there in the Scottish Cup on January 21.
Maclaren is looking forward to temporarily switching family allegiance from maroon to green. ‘The cup tie at Tynecastle was the first thing I noticed when I looked at the fixture list,’ said Maclaren, who won two caps for the same Scotland Under-19 side as Hibs team-mate Dylan McGeouch and Celtic’s Callum McGregor before choosing to represent Australia. ‘My grandad Donald is a big Jambo from Corstorphine. My dad, Don, wasn’t really a Hearts supporter but he played as a junior player at Tynecastle and always throws out the names of the guys he used to play with, like Eamonn Bannon and Walter Kidd.
‘So, obviously, I’m going to cop a bit of flak, but it will be great to be involved in a derby match like that.
‘I’m sure my grandad will be at the game. He’ll probably be a Hibs fan for the next six months. He’s already been asking me for tickets to the derby — and he’ll be in the Hibs end. After that, he’ll be a Jambo again.
‘That game is going to be a feeling that will stay with me forever. It will be a real goosebumps moment.
‘There was a little bit of interest from Hearts but nothing came of it and I’m happy Hibs got it over the line.
‘It was in Darmstadt’s best interests to accept the offer which was better for them, and Hibs came in with more force.’
Neil Lennon believes former Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar forward Maclaren will inject fresh attacking menace into his team after a fine opening half of the season.
‘Hopefully, he will add goals,’ said the Hibs manager. ‘Jamie’s movement is very good. He’s very fit and quick and his work rate off the ball is excellent.
‘If you look at his record in Australia, it’s a goal in every two games in a decent standard of football.
‘But the other side of it is he is hungry. He feels he has a point to prove to himself. And he has the target of making the Australian World Cup squad, so we have a very motivated player.
‘I don’t know if he spoke to Hearts or not. But we got the impression he was keen to come to us once we’d done a bit of work on it.
‘Simon Murray and Anthony Stokes have weighed in with goals this season.
‘But we’ve had opportunities in games which have gone a-begging, so Jamie will hopefully add to our options.
‘We’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen of him so far.’