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Aaron Mooy was released for nothing at Wanderers and could soon be playing Premier League football as a £10million midfielder - how’s that for seven years bad luck?
For all the recent success stories from Bolton’s academy, the tale of the Australian playmaker is one which looks likely to haunt them for some time yet.
Spotted as a 14-year-old by former head of youth Chris Sulley and brought over with his family from Sydney, Mooy was held up as the bright young thing of the Whites’ youth ranks.
He recovered from a serious knee injury to make the transition from Under-18s to reserve team level but failed to sufficiently impress Gary Megson and his staff enough to earn a pro contract, leading to his exit in the summer of 2010.
Mooy, now 26, had spells in Scotland and Australia before helping Huddersfield Town into the top flight via the play-offs last month and has officially been on the books of Manchester City since last year.
Peter Farrell, his former youth team coach at Wanderers, is still mystified why he was not given more time to mature.
“I couldn’t believe they released him,” said the 60-year-old, who since leaving Bolton has worked with Brentford, Port Vale and in Nigeria. “I always thought he was going to make it as a footballer but, as with anything, it’s all about opportunity.
“If Big Sam would have been in charge, or Phil Brown would have taken over I think he would still be there now. They valued that type of player and built their team around him.
“For me, Aaron had it all – he could go with his left foot, his right foot, he was physically strong on the ball and I don’t think he has changed at all from what I saw of him playing for Huddersfield last season.
“People thought he was maybe a bit lazy. You’ll never see him tackle. You need players around him to do that. But he reminds me a bit of Zidane – he’s even got the bald head.
“He isn’t as good a player, of course, but he has that grace about the way he plays. He’s a lovely balanced player but he wasn’t Gary Megson’s type of player, and that was the end of it.”
Mooy claimed in January 2011 he had left Wanderers the previous summer to pursue first team football. Indeed, some sources who were around the club at the time suggest he was given a cursory contract offer.
Six months after he left the North West Mooy popped up in the unlikely surroundings of Paisley, Scotland, for a two-year stint at St Mirren.
“It was a big decision to leave Bolton,” he told The Daily Record at the time. “But I wanted to try to get some first-team action and I’m doing that so I’m happy.
“Some people were a little surprised but it didn’t bother me. I just thought I wasn’t really going to get much of a chance at Bolton. At St Mirren, I knew I was going to get some decent game time.”
A back injury curtailed some of his progress with the Saints but there was little to suggest Wanderers had been wrong on their assessment of his potential when he was released in 2012, returning to Australia to play for West Sydney Wanderers.
It was in the A-League that Mooy’s career started to blossom. Twice Grand Final runners up in 2013 and 2014 with Sydney he then moved on to Melbourne to become their marquee player, attracting the attention of sister club Manchester City.
Mooy’s move to the Etihad appeared to be driven by the commercial link-up between the two clubs but now looks a canny bit of business, with City due to rake in £10m-plus.
“I think sometimes you have to have a little more patience, and especially with the more technically gifted players,” said Farrell, who is about to embark on a new venture coaching in Albanian football.
“I thought that with Liam Irwin – Denis’s lad – and he could have made a good player with a bit more time. You see examples of clubs only offering lads one or two years when they should be committing to their development and giving them three or four.
"I'm delighted for Aaron, though, because he's a smashing lad from a smashing family. He was a pleasure to work with."
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For all the recent success stories from Bolton’s academy, the tale of the Australian playmaker is one which looks likely to haunt them for some time yet.
Spotted as a 14-year-old by former head of youth Chris Sulley and brought over with his family from Sydney, Mooy was held up as the bright young thing of the Whites’ youth ranks.
He recovered from a serious knee injury to make the transition from Under-18s to reserve team level but failed to sufficiently impress Gary Megson and his staff enough to earn a pro contract, leading to his exit in the summer of 2010.
Mooy, now 26, had spells in Scotland and Australia before helping Huddersfield Town into the top flight via the play-offs last month and has officially been on the books of Manchester City since last year.
Peter Farrell, his former youth team coach at Wanderers, is still mystified why he was not given more time to mature.
“I couldn’t believe they released him,” said the 60-year-old, who since leaving Bolton has worked with Brentford, Port Vale and in Nigeria. “I always thought he was going to make it as a footballer but, as with anything, it’s all about opportunity.
“If Big Sam would have been in charge, or Phil Brown would have taken over I think he would still be there now. They valued that type of player and built their team around him.
“For me, Aaron had it all – he could go with his left foot, his right foot, he was physically strong on the ball and I don’t think he has changed at all from what I saw of him playing for Huddersfield last season.
“People thought he was maybe a bit lazy. You’ll never see him tackle. You need players around him to do that. But he reminds me a bit of Zidane – he’s even got the bald head.
“He isn’t as good a player, of course, but he has that grace about the way he plays. He’s a lovely balanced player but he wasn’t Gary Megson’s type of player, and that was the end of it.”
Mooy claimed in January 2011 he had left Wanderers the previous summer to pursue first team football. Indeed, some sources who were around the club at the time suggest he was given a cursory contract offer.
Six months after he left the North West Mooy popped up in the unlikely surroundings of Paisley, Scotland, for a two-year stint at St Mirren.
“It was a big decision to leave Bolton,” he told The Daily Record at the time. “But I wanted to try to get some first-team action and I’m doing that so I’m happy.
“Some people were a little surprised but it didn’t bother me. I just thought I wasn’t really going to get much of a chance at Bolton. At St Mirren, I knew I was going to get some decent game time.”
A back injury curtailed some of his progress with the Saints but there was little to suggest Wanderers had been wrong on their assessment of his potential when he was released in 2012, returning to Australia to play for West Sydney Wanderers.
It was in the A-League that Mooy’s career started to blossom. Twice Grand Final runners up in 2013 and 2014 with Sydney he then moved on to Melbourne to become their marquee player, attracting the attention of sister club Manchester City.
Mooy’s move to the Etihad appeared to be driven by the commercial link-up between the two clubs but now looks a canny bit of business, with City due to rake in £10m-plus.
“I think sometimes you have to have a little more patience, and especially with the more technically gifted players,” said Farrell, who is about to embark on a new venture coaching in Albanian football.
“I thought that with Liam Irwin – Denis’s lad – and he could have made a good player with a bit more time. You see examples of clubs only offering lads one or two years when they should be committing to their development and giving them three or four.
"I'm delighted for Aaron, though, because he's a smashing lad from a smashing family. He was a pleasure to work with."
Source
