Soccer: Bling provides salutary lesson for young talent

Jeremy Brockie. Photo / Getty Images

Jeremy Brockie admits the bright lights of Sydney FC made it hard for him to see clearly.

Brockie signed for a club who in 2006 were known as Bling FC believing they would make him shine. He had been one of the standouts from the New Zealand Knights' debut A-League season, scoring four goals in nine starts to end the year as the club's joint top goal scorer.

It earned him offers from five of the eight A-League clubs and he chose the biggest and best. Life couldn't get much better, especially as he made his All Whites debut at 18, played Brazil and was being mentioned as a possibility to follow Ryan Nelsen and Simon Elliott into the English Premier League.

Just over 12 months later, Brockie was playing for Hawke's Bay United in the NZFC. There was little bling in that league.

He played just 232 minutes all season for Sydney and sought a release, even though he was contracted for one more year. It took him two years to get back into the A-League, when he joined North Queensland Fury, and he's now halfway through a two-year deal with Newcastle.

There are some parallels with Marco Rojas' situation.

It's believed Rojas' move to the Melbourne Victory is a done deal, despite denials from the player and his father, and it's hoped he gets a chance to develop his football there. If he starts regularly, it could be a great move for him. If not ...

Many, including his former mentor Wynton Rufer, urged him to stay in Wellington at least another year where he would virtually be guaranteed a starting spot every week.

It might not be the case in Melbourne, especially if Rojas wants to play the creative attacking midfield role he covets and which is occupied by the excellent Carlos Hernandez.

Rojas is a player of some ability. He's a rare find in New Zealand - combining pace, skill and vision - but it's hoped he's receiving good advice. His father Rodi has been acting as his agent and comes across as a dominating figure. It's also questionable whether he's viewing things as objectively as an independent agent might.

"As an agent and father, I only have this moment [to advise him what to do] because once he's signed, that it; he's at that club," Rojas said in a radio interview earlier this week.

"I am only trying to do the best thing for him. Where he wants to play is his future and his dreams, not mine."

Stories emerged last week that Rojas wanted out after his first season at the Phoenix because he wasn't getting enough opportunities. He played four games that season, all off the bench, and was underwhelming. Why would the club believe he was worthy of more, especially when so well catered for down the flanks where he shone this year? He was also said to be a poor trainer, often absent sick or injured.

Negotiations for a new contract did not start until December 2010, when it was clear Rojas was something special, but Rodi is understood to have delayed talks to see what else was out there. He is understood to have later told the club Marco would re-sign with the Phoenix or go offshore to play in a different league.

It needs to be remembered Rojas has played only 21 A-League games and started just 10. He was excellent in some of them, particularly in Wellington, and was one of the reasons why the Phoenix made the playoffs. But he failed to flatter away from home and opposition players will be better equipped to deal with him next season.

Rojas could well turn out to be one of New Zealand's best players in the modern era. But he needs to play and to be in an environment that helps him play well. He's 19, but a young 19.

He's quiet, shy and unassuming and received a lot of guidance and help from senior pros at Wellington like Paul Ifill and Chris Greenacre. Will he receive the same treatment at Melbourne?

He's also a slight player (68kg) and will come in for attention next season, especially if he plays in central midfield. Brockie didn't want to comment on Rojas' situation but said it's difficult to make the right choice at a young age.

"I was a little bit star struck," Brockie admits. "Sydney had just won the league and they were the best club around. I thought, being an 18-year-old, they would be the best club to take me forward. But it's not necessarily the best clubs who can make you a better player.

"I don't have any regrets but there were a lot of things that weren't right for me. I would have been guaranteed game time at the Knights or a mid-table A-League club.

"In hindsight, it would have been better to go to a different club because, in the end, I had to take a step back [and play in the NZFC] to relaunch my career."

Former All Whites striker Harry Ngata said it was natural for players to want to go to the best clubs and believes Rojas will be a success at Melbourne.

"If Marco was to move to another A-League club, the Victory would be the best club to go to," Ngata says. "They have set the benchmark for the last four or five years. They are a stable club, with a good coach and a large supporter base."

Wellington's financial insecurity is an issue but it's expected a professional team from New Zealand will remain in the A-League regardless of what happens to club owner Terry Serepisos' empire.

Rojas' imminent departure raises the wider issue of what the Phoenix exist for. Is it for the development of football in New Zealand or for the owner to chase silverware?

"When the Kingz were first formed about 15 years ago, it was to support young New Zealand players to become professionals," says Ngata, who was Kingz captain for five seasons. "That has changed a bit over the years. It still exists for the betterment of the game in this country and I think there's still a pathway for young players - but it's a professional club and it's up to them how they run it."

There were nine New Zealand players at the Phoenix this season out of 23 players used, including Simon Elliott (four games), under-21 player James Musa (three games) and Daniel, who now qualifies as a local. Many believe this could have been higher, especially considering the limited contribution of some foreign players.

"We are a professional entity who are going to gain players and lose players," Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert says.

"When the Phoenix were first set up, the first players I signed were New Zealanders. Now about 50 per cent of the starting side are New Zealand born, which shows we have the balance about right. Players have to be good enough."

New Zealand Football would obviously prefer more, because it would help develop more players.

They have little say in the matter, having transferred the licence to Serepisos a couple of years ago. But they have an agreement with the club for a minimum of six players in the squad to be New Zealanders - in return for funding the Phoenix reserves, who played a series of challenge matches against the eight ASB Premiership sides.