Luongo reaches career crossroads

Australia's emerging star Massimo Luongo has the game to become the Socceroos' go-to man for years to come.

Massimo Luongo must make some big decisions (Getty) Source: Getty Images

To do that, however, he needs to leave Swindon Town.

He has to find the right club and environment from where to take his game to the next level when, as expected, he leaves Swindon at the expiry of his contact at the end of next season.

The Socceroos need Luongo for the long term because Tim Cahill is not going to be around for ever.

Australian football has a history of promising players falling from grace after making an ill-advised career move.

Injury-prone Tom Rogic, who was hailed as the next big thing in the Australian game less than two years ago, springs to mind.

Luongo, 22, plays his club football in the third tier of English football, which is not exactly the place to be if you have aspirations to be a lasting international player even though the Robins are pushing for promotion to the Championship.

Luongo is clearly a technically endowed player but he needs to play at a higher level to fulfil his rich potential.

He is probably still not good enough to aspire to a contract with a big, high-profile club but I am sure that he would not be out of place in a strong Championship squad or one from one of the lesser Premier League clubs.

Luongo is guided by his Australian mentor and former player's agent David Magrone, who knows a thing or two about the trappings of English football.

It was he who took the precocious teenager to Tottenham Hotspur before he became chief European scout for the White Hart Lane club.

Luongo joined Swindon on loan last year before sealing a permanent move just before transfer deadline day.

Magrone will make sure that Luongo's next move gives him the best chance to enhance his special qualities.

Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou no doubt would be very interested to see how Luongo's club future pans out.

Luongo can become the classic number 10 the Socceroos have not had for a long time and Postecoglou certainly has high hopes for the young man.

Luongo gave glimpses of what he can achieve in his career by playing superbly in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

He essentially had played only a spectator's role in the months leading up to the tournament.

Some even wondered if his selection was a bit of a gamble.

Yet he took to the event like a fish to water and capped an impressive overall performance by being named man of the tournament.

He even scored one of Australia's two goals in the final against Korea Republic.

The best player award was some achievement when you consider that seasoned campaigners like Cahill, Ki Sung-yueng and Keisuke Honda were among the stars who graced the event in Australia.

Luongo fully repaid Postecoglou's trust in him by playing with all the exuberance of a youth player and the composure of a veteran.

Postecoglou revealed during the tournament that he had not intended to use Luongo in every match but the attacking midfielder was too good to leave out.

Luongo is not the finished product and for this reason his next career move could be the one that turns him into one of our finest footballers.

We wait with bated breath.

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