Mooy 'will be in the Premier League next season'

Aaron Mooy will be playing in the Premier League next season - one way or another.

Aaron Mooy

Huddersfield Town's Aaron Mooy Source: Getty Images

That's the firm contention of his agent, Sydney-based Paddy Dominquez, after on-loan Mooy's standout season for Huddersfield Town received further recognition with his inclusion in the EFL Championship Team of the Year.

Socceroos star Mooy, who is shaping as a key player in Thursday night's vital World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Tehran, has already been dubbed by Terriers fans as too talented for the Championship.

And it's a division, he will soon be bidding a fond farewell to, according to Dominguez's assessment of an assortment of end-of-season scenarios.

"There are three potential pathways for Aaron at the end of the season and each one of them, it would appear, are Premier League-bound," declared Dominguez.

"A lot depends on what happens in the playoffs with Huddersfield still in contention to be promoted.

"He's a Manchester City player of course... and he may get pulled back there and possibly Pep Guardiola will take him on their pre-season tour to have a further look at him.

"If not, there's a potential he could be sold or even loaned out again next season.

"It's difficult to say which of those will arise.

"It's his ambition to play at the top level in England... and it looks like Australia will have a Premier League player to follow next season.

"Lately, Australia has been starved of a Premier League presence... hopefully Aaron can do his bit to help fill that void."
Dominguez said that Mooy was "totally relaxed about the future".

"There's a lot of interest in Aaron, and there has been for a while," he added.

"I am sure that will continue at the end of the season.

"He's contracted to one of the world's largest clubs and is not in a bad situation, no matter what happens."

Dominguez has no doubt Mooy will flourish in the top tier, where he will be spared the unrelenting physicality of the Championship.

"The purpose of playing in the Championship, in a league so hard on the body and the mind, it is the perfect preparation for the Premier League," he said.

"In some respects, the Premier League would be easier... the players are better quality but it doesn't have to break your body so much.

"You have to be smarter in many ways but physically you don't have to go through a Waterloo-like battle every week.

"It would be a natural progression for him. I am exited at the prospect of seeing him there because I don't expect him to be an average player... I think he will have an impact."

Dominguez revealed that as soon as Mooy was loaned by parent club City to an aspirational Huddersfield at the start of the season, he set him the target of being recognised among the top midfielders in the division.

"He's already achieved the goal I set him for the season, so we might have to set him another one now, like leading Huddersfield to promotion," added Dominguez.

"Every year I set him a target... last year it was to produce 20 assists and 10 goals [for Melbourne City] and he smashed it, with 21 assists and 11 goals.

"To provide a bit of context, when I set him a goal it's usually a lofty one... the previous record for (A-League) assists was 12.

"And to weigh in with double figure goals on top of that was phenomenal.
"I normally set him goals that appear almost impossible but he just goes out an achieves them."

While the famously bashful Mooy is happier letting his deeds than his tongue do the talking, Dominguez underscored the extent of ambition.

"Deep down he understands those are the kind of standards you have to aim at," he explained.

"He's very good at setting a very high bar for himself and then going for it.

"If you put an Everest in front of someone and they stand and look too long it can seem insurmountable.

"But Aaron stares and then takes the first step and goes on from there.

"He's a very determined player who rarely fails at anything he puts his mind to on the pitch."


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4 min read
Published 21 March 2017 4:11pm
Updated 21 March 2017 4:14pm
By Dave Lewis

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