Socceroo signals intent to return to A-League club

The smile on Awer Mabil’s face said it all as the Socceroo was asked if he would consider a return to the Isuzu UTE A-League.

Gearing up for the Subway Socceroos’ upcoming 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier against Bahrain on the Gold Coast on Thursday night, former Adelaide United star Mabil was asked about life in Switzerland with Grasshoppers.

Mabil left LaLiga side Cadiz on a permanent basis in 2023, joining Grasshoppers – the most successful Swiss club in the history of the national competition.

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After a couple of challenging seasons, the 28-year-old is back in the international setup for the first time since featuring in the 1-0 loss to England at Wembley almost a year ago.

Amid his strong form in Switzerland, Mabil was asked if he had considered returning to the A-Leagues before signing for Grasshoppers.

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“I’ve been in Europe for almost 10 years. Time flies,” he told reporters.

“When I first got to Europe, I had ambitions of playing in the Champions League and then play in the top five league in the world. I was lucky enough to accomplish that.

“I needed new goals and one of them was to try to help a club that wants to get back to where they were.

“I would love to come back to the A-League one day but I have some unfinished business in Europe.

“I’m motivated to achieve some more things there and then I’ll come home also to achieve some things hopefully with my lovely club, everyone knows who that is (smiling).”

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Before moving to Europe in 2015, Mabil made a name for himself at Adelaide United.

After progressing through the youth team, he emerged as one of the most exciting players in the A-Leagues and he helped the Reds win the 2014 Australia Cup.