This time last year, Aaron Mooy was collecting his second Melbourne City Player of the Year Award. Today, he is celebrating a promotion play-off win at Wembley as his Huddersfield side won their way to the top tier of English Football.
In his first season since the move from Melbourne, Mooy has been an instrumental figure in the Terrier’s return to the top flight after 45 years, picking up the Yorkshire Club’s Player of the Year Award as well as being named in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Season and EFL Team of the Season.
All the accolades during the season would mean nothing to Mooy unless his side could gain promotion to the Premier League and the man dubbed the ‘Pasty Pirlo’ played a role in his side’s penalty shootout win, netting Huddersfield’s fourth penalty in the tense shootout.
Speaking to Fox Sports after the match, Mooy was uncharacteristically ecstatic about the whole occasion.
The last 30 [minutes] I couldn’t run anymore, I was so tired, but we did it. There were many ups and downs but they were worth it, everything was worth it for this day,” Mooy said.
“Lots of players don’t even get to play at Wembley so coming today was something very special but to win and get a team promoted to the Premier League was amazing.
“[With the penalty,] I just tried to thing positive because lots of negative things come into your head like, if I miss this it could cost the team. They creep in but I just tried to stay positive to myself and believe it will go in.
Touted as the richest match in world football, promotion to the Premier League sees Mooy’s loan club receive around $300 million AUD and the chance to play against English football heavyweights in the 2017/18 season.
The midfielder’s future is yet to be determined with parent club Manchester City yet to make a decision on where he will play next season.
