The Wanderers were wary of such attitude problems when his name was presented to them. On day one of his trial,sources say he turned up to their Rooty Hill base behind the wheel of a Maserati.
But any initial fears were quickly dispelled by Rodwell’s words,actions and candour. The Wanderers have signed him not as a marquee player,but under the salary cap – making his signing something of a free hit. Most think he’ll be either a total bust,or one of the A-League’s very best players.
Rodwell seems to have made peace with how his career has unfolded thus far. “I’ve been halted quite a bit by injury. A lot of times when I got a run of steam,I got set back here and there. It’s been a little bit frustrating,” he said.
“But I’ve had England caps – I would have loved to have had more,but I’ve still got England caps,which is something I’m really proud of. I’ve played for some of the biggest clubs in the country. I’ve got a Premier League medal. I can look back with a lot of pride. Sometimes things are out of your control,but as long as you keep doing your best,that’s all you can do.”
Rodwell insists he still has more to give. He is surrounded by family in Sydney,having visited many times over the years,although always in the off-season – meaning he’s never had the chance to watch an A-League match.
His fitness remains a big question mark. He’s not played a professional match since a 15-minute cameo for Sheffield United in the Premier League last year,and he’s not trained regularly since leaving them in May. But the A-League has rarely seen a player with such a high ceiling at such a young age – and never two at once. The other,Perth Glory’s Daniel Sturridge,has been down a similar road with injuries. Both were handed their first senior England call-ups at the same time by then-manager Fabio Capello. “Obviously I’ve known Daniel for a long time,” Rodwell said. “It’ll be exciting to play against him.”
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He acknowledges he’s playing catch-up,but Rodwell is hopeful of featuring in some capacity in Saturday night’s A-League derby against Sydney FC - one of the teams he played against for Everton on that fateful pre-season tour in 2010.
In his head,he is still that same player who burst on the EPL scene as a teenager.
“If I don’t think that,then it’s time for me to call it a day,” Rodwell said.
“I know my ability,I know what I can do. I’m here because I want to be here. I’m 30 years old - still in the prime of my career. I’ve chosen to play in Australia. I’ve been really,really happy with the group we’ve got here,I feel like I can help a lot. The key for me is staying fit.
“If I can stay fit then for sure – I can play as long as I want,really. I don’t feel like I’ve only got one or two years left in me. If I really want I can play until I’m 36,37. It’s not like I’ve come here to retire.
“This is a new chapter for me in Australia. I feel like it’s a good one.”
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