On this week’s episode of Total A-Leagues, Vince Rugari and Tommy Oar discuss a mooted move abroad for Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham.
Last week, Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich confirmed Waddingham was on the verge of securing an overseas transfer following the Australian sensation’s absence from the squad for the loss against Melbourne City.
Waddingham, who has scored 11 A-Leagues goals – including four this season in a breakout campaign in 2023-24 – and 15 across all competitions, was also linked with Championship duo Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough.
On Total A-Leagues, host and Sydney Morning Herald reporter Vince Rugari and retired Socceroo Tommy Oar discussed Waddingham’s imminent departure with the latter highlighting his own experience of leaving the A-Leagues for Europe.
“I think that there are still question marks around him,” Oar said. “He still has a lot to learn.
“If an opportunity presents itself to go to a huge club like Portsmouth, I can understand completely why he would jump at that.”
Oar made a name for himself at Brisbane Roar between 2007-10 before joining Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht, where he made over 100 appearances prior to joining England’s Ipswich Town in 2015.
On this week’s episode, Rugari asked: “What was the calculation for you when you moved to FC Utrecht from Brisbane, or you were younger, you played fewer games than he had? How did you know it was the right time?”
The 33-year-old replied: “I think I was already in the Socceroos (squad) and I’d just been to the 2010 World Cup.
“I think that going to the national team, I had the national team coach kind of pushing me and saying, this is a good stepping stone for you. So I was kind of being guided from other parties I guess you could say, I’m not sure.
“I’m not privy to what the situation is with him in terms of those types of things. But, you know, I don’t think he’s in the Socceroos discussion seriously yet or anything like that.
“At the same time as well, I think it’d be unfair to expect him to go to Portsmouth now, and if that’s where he is, where he ends up, and kind of, you know, start the ground 100 miles an hour, and be playing every game and scoring goals.
