Aston Villa flop Ross McCormack is attempting to get his career back on track with a loan move to Warren Joyce’s Melbourne City.
Ross McCormack didn’t hold back in his assessment of that ill-fated move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2016.
‘Disaster’ was the word the Scottish striker used when describing his year-long stint with the Midland giants,as reported by the Birmingham Mail, and few supporters would disagree. McCormack arrived for £12 million from Fulham with a reputation for being one of the Championship’s most lethal hitmen, per the BBC.
20 games, three goals and a forgettable loan spell at Nottingham Forest later, McCormack’s reputation was in tatters.
Though a season-long loan away from the scrutiny of English football could be exactly what the 31-year-old needs to get his once impressive career back on track. And Melbourne City manager Warren Joyce has no doubts that McCormack will be a success Down Under.
‘Hunger’
“I think it’s tremendous that a player of his ilk is willing to come at the drop of a hat, really, and start the season, a new season, in a country so far away. It shows his hunger, it shows his desire to play football,” former Manchester United youth coach Warren Joyce said in quotes reported by the Birmingham Mail.
“It’s a great test for his character that he is willing to test himself despite doing so much in his career already.
“He’s willing to test himself and go again, not start from scratch, but I think he’s hungry to do well here and that’s good for himself and good for the club.”
McCormack is expected to make his debut for Melbourne in Friday’s A-League season opener against Brisbane.
The former Leeds and Cardiff striker may have escaped the pressures of England but that does not mean he can live an easy life in Oz, however. As Melbourne’s marquee signing, fans will be expecting much of a player who scored 66 goals in the three league seasons before donning claret and blue.
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