Huddersfield Town midfielder Aaron Mooy will go into action for Australia against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi today having been compared to Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish.
That’s the view of his former St Mirren manager Danny Lennon.
WATCH: Aaron Mooy
Mooy, on a season-long loan at Town from Manchester City, took his first steps into senior football with the Scottish side after coming through the junior ranks at Bolton Wanderers.
Now 25, he made 30 appearances for Saints between 2010 and 2012, when he returned Down Under.
“In my time with St Mirren, Aaron was the player with the most natural ability that I had,” Lennon told the Daily Telegraph,
“He was unplayable at times, especially in training, and in games sometimes Aaron would do some incredible things.
“With his ability, if anything Aaron should have played more.
“There was perhaps a perception that his workrate wasn’t enough, but there’s a certain kind of player who doesn’t need to run so much because he’s so far ahead in his brain.
“They used to say that Kenny Dalglish had no pace but he was always two or three steps ahead in his mind.
“That’s the biggest compliment I can give Aaron.
“Like a lot of youngsters, the consistency wasn’t always there, that was what he tried to help him with. He just wanted to play, to improve.”
Mooy is due back in the UK in time to feature for Championship leaders Town in Saturday’s derby at Leeds United.
He helped Australia kick off the third phase of Asian confederation qualification for Russia 2018 with a 2-0 win over Iraq in Perth last Thursday.
It was a 17th international for the former Melbourne City player, who has been a big hit since joining Town.
Australia are in a group which also includes Japan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
There are home and away games running through to this time next year.
The top two in each of two groups qualify for the finals.
The two third-placed sides will play each other home and away to determine which takes part in an inter-federation play-off against a nation from CONCACAF (North, Central American and Caribbean).
The kick-off against the UAE is 4.30pm British time.
