At every club he’s ever been, Josh Nisbet has had to overcome the doubters. At 160 cm – about five foot three in the old scale – he has been forever overlooked. The assumption being that no-one that tall can survive in professional football.

Even at the Mariners he had to convince Alen Stajcic, through sheer determination, that he was worthy of a chance. Eventually the chance came and he has never looked back. Quickly a fan favourite, he became a coach favourite under Monty and is now (probably) everyone’s favourite across the entire league.

Australians love an underdog and they don’t come much more “under” than Nizzy. Fans everywhere rejoiced when he got his Socceroos call-up and most of Australia will have their fingers crossed he gets the nod from Arnie on Tuesday.

We could do worse.

As I’ve written before, there is no-one (eligible for Australia) better than Nizz when it comes to holding possession. On top of that he has an eye for a pass and would be a serious weapon against the sort of parked buses we encounter all the time in Asia.

A good performance for the NT could even enhance his chances for an appropriate move overseas.

Because, despite the massive runs he has on the board already, he’s back to Square One as far as Europe is concerned. Once again, they can’t see past his height so once again he’ll have to take whatever he can get and then back himself to prove the doubters wrong. In that way, he might finally reach the level he deserves.

So what is his deserved level?

You’d think Monty would want him at Hibs and I’ve no doubt he’d be a sensation in the SPL.

He could (in my opinion) do a job for anyone in the English Championship. The EPL is unrealistic, right now, but I’m not putting any ceiling on Nizz. I can see him doing an Aaron Mooy and becoming a fan favourite at a Championship club and even helping them to win promotion.

He would also be outstanding in one of the more technical European leagues because he is a very technical player himself. Great footspeed and fast turning ability enable him to hold the ball in tight spaces. Extraordinary game intelligence and vision mean he knows where his team mates are, and precision passing means he is likely to find them. His assist rate is second to none.

When Nizz plays well (and he usually does) his team wins.

These are qualities prized by smart coaches everywhere and I understand Nisbet has an Italian passport as well as an Australian passport. Maybe that’s where he needs to go? Serie B would be a perfect entrée to Europe and if he’s as good as us good judges reckon he is then he would make a success of that and then be taken seriously anywhere in Europe.

But for the moment, he still has to overcome the usual prejudice… Apart-height, with those shorter even than Maradona and Messi presumed to be non-starters.

Arnie has form for giving minutes to players who need to be in the shop window, so hopefully he’ll do the right thing by Nizz on Tuesday. Thing is, he genuinely deserves his chance. He’s very much our best option for a ball holding/ball playing midfielder.

You picked him Arnie. Now play him.

 

Adrian's books can be purchased at any good bookstore or through ebook alchemy. His first sci-fi novel (Asparagus Grass) was published by Hague Publishing in July 2023. The ebook can be purchased here and the paperback can be ordered here or at your local store.