Australia legend Craig Moore could see Keanu Baccus was destined for greatness from the glint of determination in his eyes when they first met.
That’s why the former Rangers and Newcastle United defender wasn’t at all surprised to see the St Mirren talent rise to the challenge of battling the likes of Lionel Messi and Christian Eriksen in Qatar.
Socceroos hero Moore played at two World Cups, scoring a crucial penalty against Croatia in 2006 in Germany that helped send his country through to the last 16 for the first time.
This time around it was Saints star Baccus who helped the Aussies repeat the feat, putting in a superb second-half performance in his country’s impressive 1-0 win over Denmark to set up a massive knockout clash against Argentina.
While that ultimately proved a step too far for Australia, Hall of Famer Moore believes the St Mirren midfielder showed the rest of the world he’s got the belief and skill required to regularly mix it with the best in the business.
Speaking exclusively to Renfrewshire Live Sport from the Gold Coast, Moore said: “Keanu has now been involved in an Aussie team that kept clean sheets at a World Cup, that won two group games and reached the last 16.
“It’s arguably Australia’s best-ever performance at a World Cup and Keanu played a massive part in that.
“He grew with the tournament. He got minutes against France and Tunisia and then his second half performance against Denmark was unbelievable.
“He earned that start against Argentina because he showed what he’s all about. He’s got that bite, that tenacity and that desire that you need to make it to the top.
“He’s also very tidy on the ball and balances aggression with keeping things ticking over in midfield.
“What impresses me most is that every time he makes that next step up he doesn’t look out of place at all. Am I surprised with how well he’s done so quickly? No, because personally I felt there was a lot more under the bonnet.
“When I look into Keanu’s eyes, there’s a glint there of someone who is desperate to achieve and go to the very top.
“We all know what a wonderful player Messi is. Deep down Keanu will have known the significance of taking on the best player in the world at the World Cup.
“But he just gets his head down and gets on with it. He gave him a knock early on to let him know he was there. That takes guts.
“It’s full credit to Keanu because character is such a massive thing in football. So many players have all the ability, but without drive and determination that’s just not enough.”
Moore, now a football agent in Australia, played a key role in bringing the Buddies and Baccus together over the summer.
The 46-year-old has been delighted with his rapid progress and can’t wait to see how the 24-year-old kicks on back in Paisley after picking up so much invaluable experience in Qatar.
Moore said: “There was interest from other clubs in Scotland, but Stephen Robinson really sold St Mirren to Keanu.
“What most impressed him was how important they made him feel. It seemed like the right fit for him to get game time and kick on.
“The only snag was the hold up with the visa, but he came in and hit the ground running and hasn’t looked back.
“Keanu’s doing extremely well for the Saints and he always says how good the group there is.
“St Mirren will be aware of interest in him because that’s part of the business. He’s done well on the world stage against the world’s best players, teams are going to be interested.
“He’s on the road to cementing himself in Europe after having a great education at home, playing 100 games for Western Sydney Wanderers.
“I’m sure there’s still a lot more to come from Keanu because he’s such a hard-working, talented boy.”
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