Former Celtic hero Tom Rogic retires from football at 30 and returns to Australia to focus on his family amid his pregnant wife’s fertility problems
- Former Celtic star Tom Rogic has retired from football
- The Socceroos hero has returned to Australia
- His wife suffers from fertility problems
Talismanic Socceroo Tom Rogic has retired from football to focus on his family.
Rogic, one of the most talented Socceroos of recent years who also played for Scottish giants Celtic, has called time after scoring ten goals in 53 caps between 2012 and 2022.
The intensely private Canberran opened up about he and his wife’s fertility struggles before welcoming their daughter in 2021. With twins due next year, they have returned to Australia to focus on raising their family.
“After careful consideration, I have made the decision to retire from professional football,” Rogic said in a statement on Instagram.
‘I have always been quite private with things in my personal life, but given the significance of it, I think it is important that people understand why and how I made my decision.
Tom Rogic has announced that he will retire at the age of 30
The Celtic and Socceroo hero announced the news on Instagram on Tuesday
‘Over the past seven years, my wife and I have been through an extremely challenging journey with fertility issues.
‘After years of trying and many failed rounds of IVF, my wife and I were fortunate to welcome the birth of our daughter in 2021. I have loved every minute of being a father and consider it my greatest achievement in life.
‘After experiencing some difficulty and sadness with fertility treatment, we recently received the wonderful news that our family is growing and that we are expecting twins in 2024.
“Given our past and how hard we’ve fought for this, along with the challenges of having twins and a two-year-old, this seems like the right time to put my focus and attention on what’s most important in my life. life – my family.’
The 30-year-old last played for Australia in a World Cup qualifier against Oman in 2022, but withdrew before the play-offs for personal reasons.
He was left out of Australia’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar and has not featured since.
Rogic returns to Australia with his pregnant wife Sophia to focus on his family
Sophia is pregnant with twins, but after seven challenging years of fertility problems, Rogic wants to concentrate fully on his family
Rogic missed the 2014 World Cup through injury and was one of the final omissions from the 2018 tournament, although he played a starring role at the 2019 Asian Cup.
The former futsal player started his career with Central Coast Mariners, winning the A-League premiership before moving to Scotland and later had a short loan spell with Melbourne Victory.
He won 16 trophies at Celtic but most recently played for West Bromwich Albion, who released him in May after a short and difficult spell.