Mooy made for Premier League, says Schwarzer

Aaron Mooy was Huddersfield Town's torch-bearer in the Championship last season, but Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer is backing the Socceroos star to burn even more brightly in the Premier League after his whirlwind start to life at the summit.

Aaron Mooy

Aaron Mooy Source: Getty Images

Mooy was named in the Championship's team of the season and was the Terriers' player of the year as they drove to promotion.

But Schwarzer is convinced the midfielder's technical qualities and visionary virtues are even better suited to the top tier, as evidenced by his two assists against Crystal Palace and a match-winning goal against Newcastle as David Wagner's men have stormed to six points from their opening two games.

It is but a glimpse of what could lie in store from the 26-year-old as he embraces the Premier League like a long lost natural habit.

Schwarzer is a veteran of 514 Premier League games over a 20-year span with Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea and Leicester before his retirement in 2016.

He feels that as well as Mooy did in the Championship, he's destined for even bigger things in the top tier.
"If anything Aaron is probably more suited to the Premier League than the Championship," said Schwarzer.

"For a player like Aaron to be in the Championship he had to be in a specific team, one that played a certain type of football," he explained.

"When he linked up with (coach) David Wagner at Huddersfield it was the perfect match for him, and he thrived in a physically tough division.

"The way he plays, the technical qualities he has, the Premier League is, in many ways, an even better stage for him to show what he can do.

"He made two goals in the (3-0) win at Crystal Palace on the opening day and the way he took his goal (in the 1-0 win) against Newcastle was simply excellent.

"He looks very comfortable and the whole team has a lot of energy ... they are obviously on a high from promotion and so far they have taken to the EPL like ducks to water."

Mooy's Terriers are in action next at home to Rotherham United in the League Cup on Thursday (AEST), before Southampton visit the John Smith's Stadium at the weekend.

Then Mooy jets off for Socceroos World Cup qualifying duty against Japan and Thailand.
Despite Huddersfield's perfect start, Schwarzer said it's how they navigate the inevitable periods of turbulence ahead which will determine their fate.

"It's going to be a tough season, and there will be times when they will struggle and results will go against them," he added.

"But as long they have that momentum and keep picking up points the confidence will be there.

"Who knows? Leicester (Schwarzer's final club stop) showed (in winning the championship in 2016) how to harness that momentum.

"I am not saying Huddersfield will go and win the league, but the amount of energy they play with makes it hard for teams to stay with them, as was also the case with how Leicester played.

"Things are going beyond expectations at the moment but it will be interesting to see how they react when they get a setback.

"It's how they deal with losing games and bouncing back from that which will show the depth of character they
have within their squad.

"These are the games they need to win, against the teams which in all likelihood won't be featuring in the top eight.

"They are the games you look back on if you are down the bottom come the end of the season, and you think 'if only if we did this, if only we did that'.

"So it's hugely important to get points on the board as quickly as possible."
Schwarzer sees the union between Huddersfield and Mooy as heaven sent.

"Aaron is at the right club with a manager who wants to play football and who believes wholeheartedly in him," he said.

"You can see it suits him down to the ground the type of football they play, and he has a huge role in the team and is able to utilize his strengths.

"He's involved in every set-play and his delivery has been excellent.

"He's also shown when he works himself into those goalscoring positions how deadly he can be, and that will have sent his confidence soaring."


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4 min read
Published 23 August 2017 2:19pm
By Dave Lewis

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