Brandon O'Neill is edging towards a move to Europe after dropping a major hint he is looking to leave Sydney FC at the end of the A-League season.
The Sky Blues will struggle to keep hold of the 24-year-old beyond this campaign after he attracted interest from the UK, with an English Championship club set to send its chief scout to Australia in the month ahead to run the rule over the in-form midfielder.
In demand: O'Neill has attracted the attention of an unnamed English Championship side.Credit:AAP
The overseas interest is set to intensify after O'Neill scored a stunning long-range goal on Saturday that guided the Sky Blues to a narrow 2-1 win over Central Coast in Gosford.
Speaking after the match, Sydney FC coach Steve Corica expressed his desire to keep O'Neill at the club for as long as possible, confirming he would offer him a new long-term contract. O'Neill's current deal expires in June and it appears that an increased offer may not be enough to keep him at the Sky Blues.
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Corica's hopes of retaining O'Neill could be out of his control, with the interest from abroad have the greatest influence on his decision. The diminutive midfielder is content with life at Sydney but feels he can only progress so much in the A-League and must look abroad to further his career.
Rocket: O'Neil's long-range shot sails beyond Ben Kennedy into the net.Credit:AAP
"Sydney is my football home. Ive come here, I just enjoy myself so much here. Firstly under Graham, now under Bimbi [Corica] and [general manager] Terry [McFlynn], [chief executive] Danny [Townsend] and [chairman] Scott [Barlow] and everyone at Sydney FC. It really does feel like a family club to me but I do have ambitions to play at the highest level," he said.
"I do want to play overseas and thats just normal for any young lad whos plied his trade in his national league and is wanting a fresh and new challenge. Im the sort of guy that is never happy with being happy. I want to be tested, I want to be challenged because that brings out the best in me."
O'Neill's agent, Tony Rallis, said any move must be able to advance his playing career and lead to consistent game time in a league of greater stature and quality.
"We wont move for the sake of moving," Rallis told the Herald. "Sydney has been very good to Brandon, its a great club who does the right thing by its players. If were going to move it has to be for the right challenge."
The Championship side has already seen footage of O'Neill's wondergoal from some 25 metres, which the player has labelled the best of his career. Struck with his weaker left foot, O'Neill left Central Coast goalkeeper Ben Kennedy with no chance as his fierce effort rattled the corner of the net to seal a vital win for Sydney, despite their sluggish performance.
"It has to be my best, with my weaker foot," he said. "You just kind of know when you hit a ball really well that more than likely it has to take an amazing save from a keeper to keep it out or its going in. When I struck that one, it felt either or."
Dominic Bossi is a football reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.
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