Relieved Carney looks to future

Criticised by Bunyodkor coach Mirjalol Kasymov for supposedly putting his country before club, Carney, 28, was belatedly paid five months in missing wages and bonuses before his contract was cut short by the cash-strapped club.

There are now moves from Carney’s agent, Sydney-based Ante Alilovic, to find the Socceroos left back a new home in the Middle East before Monday’s transfer deadline where he could join a growing list of Australians including Mark Bresciano, Sasa Ognenovski, Lucas Neill, Alex Brosque and Mathew Spiranovic. 

There is also the prospect of being snapped up as a free agent by a Championship club, with Carney - who has 46 Socceroos caps - also attracting interest from several A-league clubs but preferring, at this stage, to continue his career overseas.

His position at Bunyodkor – a club owned by Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov’s eldest daughter Gulnara Karimovawith – became untenable after his coach’s rant before the recent Champions League clash against Adelaide at Hindmarsh Stadium with the former Sydney FC, Sheffield United, FC Twente, Blackpool and AD Alcorcon man making just seven appearances for the club before falling out of favour in August.

“David is training by himself in England where he has been for about five days now and he’s just relived to be out of Uzbekistan and able to move ahead his career,” said Alilovic. 

“There are a few options for him in England, possibly at a Championship club, and I am pretty confident he will be staying in England.

“But if a decent offer comes out from the Middle East then he’d look at it but Bunyodkor have been slow with the final paperwork and that is not helping the situation regarding him possibly moving over there"

Alilovic, who negotiated Carney’s initial move to Bunyodkor, is scornful of the treatment meted out to him, saying: “I have never dealt with a club that hangs up on you when you call. Some of their club officials have sworn at David, it’s not professional conduct on their behalf. 

“I feel David has been badly done by. They simply turned on him.

“Getting him there was not a problem. Everything was dealt with in a professional way. The club officials were efficient and courteous and David was very happy there initially. But they changed quickly and that’s just totally inappropriate.

“David is just relieved now to be out of there. He has received his owning money and regarding the Socceroos he has spoken with the coach Holger Osieck and will work out the best scenario regarding keeping fit with the game against Iraq in mind.

“But of course the fact he doesn’t have a club right now makes it a little difficult for him (regarding that game).”