TOM Rogic has the kind of summer itinerary planned which even Phileas Fogg or Michael Palin would take their travel agents to task for.
A total of 45 days will elapse between the William Hill Scottish Cup final on May 27 and Celtic’s first Champions League qualifier on the 11th or 12th of July, and this resilient 23-year-old from a suburb of Canberra is resigned to travelling around the world for most of them.
He said yesterday that he was fully prepared to forego a summer break altogether and cross various time zones to ensure he is available for those all-important European eliminators.
Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Aberdeen's Derek McInnes could succeed in England
The lot of the modern day footballer is frequently said to be a 24/7, 365 day a year existence and never more so than when you play for Australia. The Socceroos’ extensive summer 2017 programme commences with a crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia at the MCG in Melbourne on June 8.
Five days later comes a glamour home friendly against Brazil. And from there it is straight to the Confederations Cup tournament in Russia - the time-honoured dress rehearsal for next summer’s World Cup - where they will face Germany, Cameroon and Chile in the group stages.
That would be bad enough. But should they go the distance, Rogic could be required to play in the final in St Petersburg on July 2 - as little as nine days before Celtic face their opening Champions League qualifying tie.
It would leave no time whatsoever for a break with his family, but thankfully from Celtic’s point of view he feels he has already had one - the four months he spent on the sideline this season recuperating from injury. With a similar scenario awaiting next summer should Australia be successful in their World Cup qualifiers and return to Russia for the real thing in the summer of 2018, the only genuine opportunity for some serious downtime will come in January’s winter break.
Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Aberdeen's Derek McInnes could succeed in England
“The last group game is June 25 and who knows what can happen,” said Rogic. “But I’ve missed a period of the season and have had more then enough rest. So from my point of view I would certainly feel ready to go. It is not like it is going to be a surprise or anything if I have to come back in early, or come straight back in for the game. I feel I should be in good shape leading into those qualifying games.
“I haven’t spoken to the manager about it [next season] yet but yes I guess that [next winter] is the next break I will probably get,” said Rogic. “But you look at what is at stake and it sort of outweighs the possibility of getting a holiday. You have a friendly against one of the best countries in the world, and a chance to qualify for the World Cup, so it is not a case of ‘maybe I can get a holiday here for a week instead of playing those games’. It is not something you want to miss out on.”
The most arduous choices most people take on long-haul flights is deciding which in-flight movie to watch and how many beers to consume but long-distance travel is such a feature of Rogic’s life that it has become a far more serious business than that. From wearing compression socks to ward off the threat of deep-veined thrombosis, to being disciplined about his sleep, hydration and nutrition, this 23-year-old leaves nothing to chance.
Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Aberdeen's Derek McInnes could succeed in England
“You always want to be ready to play, so you do the best you can recovery-wise on the plane to make sure you are in the best possible shape,” said Rogic, ahead of tonight’s meeting with Aberdeen, an opponent whom he has scored against in three separate meetings this season. “You try to get used to the time zone you are going to by being disciplined with your sleep. Obviously you have to be careful with what you are eating, as always, knowing what is best for your body, nutrition-wise, and hydration. And compression garments to help your circulation. I wear all these things.
“There are no months off now where players can just go off and do what they want,” he added. “You have to be pretty professional all the way through. You look at the top players in the world and they don’t get a break. They are playing 70, 80 games a season. We have had a busy schedule and a lot of games but it is just modern football and you get used to it. You enjoy your breaks, whatever small time off that might be.”
Rogic feels his globetrotting summer is perfect preparation, but competition is fierce and first team rivals will report first. “I’ll be playing big games and coming into pre-season fit and ready,” he said. “But you always need to fight for your spot.”
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