Celtic should enjoy Rogic while they can, says Jedinak
AUSTRALIA captain Mile Jedinak insists compatriot Tom Rogic is developing into a world-class footballer who will eventually outgrow Celtic. While striker Moussa Dembele has hogged the early-season hype with his goalscoring exploits, Rogic has also made an eyecatching start, emerging as the creative pivot in Brendan Rodgers’ side and contributing six goals.
Jedinak, who watched Rogic again excel in Australia’s 2-2 draw in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, acknowledges that there remain question marks over the 23-year-old’s stamina but he expects his team-mate to soon attract top-level interest in his services.
‘Celtic have Tom and they need to enjoy it while they can,’ said Jedinak. ‘They have nurtured him very well and he is steadily progressing in the Scottish league but there is a point in time when he is going to kick on again.
‘When he fine-tunes everything, which comes with games, everyone will see how good he can be.
‘I really do think he could play anywhere in the world at any level.’
THE pattern has become well established. Sometime around the hour mark, a member of Celtic’s backroom staff approaches the fourth official who, in turn, hoists an electronic board displaying the No18. If the regular substitution of Tom Rogic two-thirds through a match is troubling some Celtic fans, the midfielder’s international captain would like to offer some reassurance.
Aston Villa’s Mile Jedinak, formerly of Crystal Palace, is a huge fan of his fellow Australian. He knows the 23-year-old’s background better than most and insists that patience must be shown with a young man who has had some quite horrendous injury problems since moving to Scotland in 2013.
Jedinak also issues a calm reminder that, just 12 months prior to his £400,000 move from Central Coast Mariners, Rogic was not really a footballer at all but a talented futsal player.
Rogic has completed 90 minutes on just four of his 14 appearances for Celtic this term and on the more intense occasions — as witnessed in games against Manchester City, Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Rangers — he is deemed to have run his race long before the end.
‘I think people need to realise that this is a guy, who only really started playing outdoor football professionally at the age of 19,’ says Jedinak. ‘He played futsal and had to learn his trade. He had a good schooling at Central Coast. I was there and know the mentality and how they do things in that environment.
‘With him, it’s not whether or not he will excel, it’s that given the time to adapt to certain things, condition and physically then you would see the real Tom. You saw glimpses of it last season and the question for this year was whether he would get a consistent run in the Celtic team. Fortunately, he is.’
Signed by Neil Lennon during the winter break four seasons ago, Rogic struggled to break through and was loaned back to Melbourne Victory a year later to try to force his way into Australia’s World Cup squad. His progress was then hampered by a serious groin injury before he re-emerged under Ronny Deila last season.
A seasoned professional who moved to Turkey before signing for Palace in 2011, Jedinak, 32, admits that even without his injury woes, Rogic would have found it challenging to settle into his new life on the other side of the world.
‘To a young player coming over from Australia, it is a shock to the system,’ explains the 65-timescapped midfielder. ‘You don’t really
know what you are getting into. It’s hard to cope with the physical demands and Tom had a few issues at the start. Once he got himself right, as we knew he would, he started to emerge as the type of player that excites us.
‘It just comes naturally to him and although there is not much of him, he has super strength and good balance to hold off people. He has the ability to manipulate the ball and, with the ball at his feet, he seems to glide past players with ease.’
Rogic scored some eyecatching goals during the team’s procession to the Premiership title last term but his future remained very much in doubt as Deila was replaced by Brendan Rodgers. Yet, despite inheriting a surplus of attacking midfielders, the former Liverpool boss decided Rogic was worth a new contract.
The Australian has since emerged as Rodgers’ preferred starter in the No10 role, clocking six goals and several assists already this season. In particular, his first-half performance in the 3-3 draw with Manchester City caught the eye. He may have run out of gas soon after half-time but Jedinak believes the fact he is performing at such a high level at all is a cause for celebration.
‘The Champions League is the stage and to see him there at such a young age is great,’ he said. ‘Tom suits the way Celtic are playing under the current manager.
‘It’s just about games and him being allowed to express himself. He’s probably only had 50 or 60 senior games in his career, so it’s a credit to him that he has come to understand the game so quickly.
‘I think the expectation with Tom is always going to be there because in Australia we know what a natural talent he is. When I first saw him come into the national team a few years ago, I was impressed. I liked the way he got involved and didn’t hold back. I thought: “With a little bit of work, this kid will be some player”. ‘It’s nice to see that he is getting backing from the management. Sometimes that’s all it needs. As an international colleague, I will do all I can to help him myself.’ Rogic featured for Australia against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Thursday and faces Japan in Melbourne on Tuesday before he crosses the world to return for Celtic’s games against Motherwell and Mönchengladbach.
Jedinak (left) added. ‘I cannot speak highly enough of Tom because I really do think he is an exceptional talent who could play anywhere in the world at any level.’
Remember, this guy was playing futsal until he was 19