Aaron Mooy ran rings around Rangers at Hampden Park on Sunday.But Celtic’s Viaplay Cup Final hero was contemplating hanging up his boots for good just eight months ago – until a transformational 10-day training stint at the Ibrox club’s Auchenhowie HQ.
Having quit his club in China during the pandemic, Mooy was given special access to the facility on the outskirts of Milngavie last summer in order to throw the kitchen sink at one last chance to turn his career around at the World Cup in Qatar.One month later Mooy had not only booked his country up for a place in the winter finals – but also done enough to convince Ange Postecoglou to sign him for Celtic into the bargain.
The blue iron gates of the training ground on the north side of Glasgow were opened up especially for the Aussie and Soceroos fitness guru Andrew Clark after an intervention from ex-Rangers star Craig Moore.
Until Moore’s phone call, Mooy had been training alone on a public park near his Bearsden home in a bid to get fit for Australia’s play-off showdown with Peru in Qatar in June.Clark, head of high performance with the Aussie FA, takes up the incredible story.
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