The conversations that led Miloš Degenek to Bačka Topola and a Socceroo recall

Miloš Degenek stood at a crossroads in January, amid interest from across Europe and the A-League Men. And it was new and old relationships in the Socceroo that helped him find his way.

HANGZHOU, China — In January, Miloš Degenek stood at something of a crossroads.

Not seeing the field with Serbian powers Red Star, he knew he needed to play if he wanted to re-establish himself as a Socceroos regular. And he knew that those minutes would likely need to come outside Belgrade. A long-term heel injury had waylaid him for much of the previous year, forcing him to miss the Asian Cup and, despite his best efforts, forced him to go under the knife. By the time he was able to return, opportunities to force his way into Vladan Milojević's squad were fleeting, the 30-year-old restricted to just a single Kup Srbije appearance and an eight-minute cameo off the bench in league play.

Securing his release, interest from clubs across Europe followed, as did attempts by Western Sydney and Melbourne to lure him to the A-League Men for the first time; Miloš Ninković, now on the coaching staff of the Wanderers, was drafted to pitch him on a return to where he grew up in Sydney's west, while Victory coach Arthur Diles also confirmed his side had made enquiries about bringing him to AAMI Park.

Ultimately, however, it was a series of conversations with Socceroos coaches Hayden Foxe and Tony Popovic that saw the defender land not in the A-League Men but, instead, with another Serbian outfit in FK TSC Bačka Topola. And it was there in Serbia's north that he found a platform to gain much-needed minutes. Wearing the armband in recent weeks, the defender has started seven league games since arriving in February, as well as featuring in TSC's win in the round of 16 of the Kup Srbije and the UEFA Conference League.

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"At the time, I had a few conversations with Hayden Foxe," Degenek recalled to JDL Media. "I had a few with the boss [Tony Popovic] as well. Foxy kind of helped me a little bit there, as did the boss, but I'd say I had a few more conversations with Foxy, deeper conversations, longer ones.

"I love Australia, I think the A-League is good. I think it can be better. And I think it should be better with certain things implemented in the game. But I thought I was in Europe, I'm still there, my family's there, I'd still love to play European football, and I think I would still offer a lot in European football. I thought, if I've got a chance to stay, I'm going to take it.

"Topola in Serbia came up and said they'd love to have me. For me, it was a simple one. Do you want to have me? Okay, I want to come, but I want to play. I'm going to work hard in training, I want to do all I can, but I want to play. And the answer was, if you work hard in training, if you are, as everyone says you are, you will play, without a doubt.

"So I'm doing my best, I'm working hard, and I'm playing. It's been a really positive move for me, because I've played a lot of games, and now I'm in Socceroos camp because I'm playing games. If I wasn't playing games, I can't expect to be called up."

Introduced as a second-half substitute in Australia's 5-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Indonesia, Degenek made his first international appearance in 528 days last week, registering cap number 45 after previously being called up but not featuring in the Socceroos' November fixtures with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Graham Arnold having departed and been replaced by Popovic between his caps, plenty had changed in the national setup during his time away but the adjustment period proved a quick one for Degenek, who has set a public target of going to a third FIFA World Cup with the Socceroos in 2026.

"I've got a really good relationship with [Foxe]," he said. "I think he's very fair, down to earth, and a really friendly guy. I love working with him. I think it's really fun. I mean, I love working with all the staff. I think they're all great. I think everyone brings their own aspect of their careers into our careers now, and I think it's just going to help us be even better.

"Foxe is different, I kind of have a really open relationship with him. I think he's really, really good. He's helped me a fair bit, to be honest, with a lot of the talk that he's done with me, a lot of communication that we've done outside of football -- and a fair bit we do here as well -- has helped me become the person I am now in camp.

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"I think he's respected, not just here, but everywhere, as is [assistant coach] Paul Okon as well. He's very respected in Europe, especially. [Popovic], obviously, has made a name for himself, being who he is and achieving what he has achieved in his football career.

"I think the staff that we have now, including the boss, is probably one of the higher respected coaching staffs we had in the past couple of campaigns."

Degenek and Foxe have known of each other for quite a while -- Australian football isn't large enough for there to exist much mystery -- but the Socceroos represent the first time the two have forged a direct connection. The defender's relationship with Popovic, though, is a longstanding one.

"I met [Foxe] a long time ago," Degenek said. "I was in Sydney at the time, I think I was at Sydney FC training when Vítězslav Lavička was coach. So I would have crossed paths there. But the first time we spoke and got into detail was a couple of months ago, once I started with the Socceroos.

"With the boss, it's different. I've known the boss since I was a teenager, I met him when he was in Germany when he was doing a lot of his coaching courses. He came to Stuttgart when I was there, we went to watch some games together and had a meal and things like that.

"It's nice to work with people, and to meet people a long time ago and then to cross paths now again to see how we've all changed and developed as people."

Degenek will look to bring up cap number 46 for Australia on Tuesday when the Socceroos face China in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Hangzhou. The Australians currently occupy one of the two automatic qualification slots on offer in Group C, a point clear of third-placed Saudi Arabia and four ahead of the trio of Indonesia, Bahrain, and China.

Header Image: Football Australia/Socceroos/Ann Odong