At 22-years-old, Oscar Priestman was faced with one of the biggest decisions of his life, if not the biggest. Having never left Sydney in his footballing journey, he knew that this next choice was going to be career-defining.
He’d had interest before, but nothing as concrete as Motherwell’s pursuit of the centre-midfielder. Negotiations were quick and smooth, and before he knew it, he was moving to Scotland to start the next chapter of his life in North Lanarkshire.
“It was absolutely the biggest decision I’d ever made in my life,” Oscar Priestman laughed.
“Moving away from my home, my family and my friends for the first time was always going to be a big call just because I’ve never had that experience before. Of course, there’s been interest before but this was the first concrete one and from the moment I heard about it, I was very keen on it.
“I’d spoken to the coaches at Motherwell, including the manager. We had a Zoom meeting and after that was finished and I’d heard about the stye of play and vision, I was really excited. I looked more into it.
“I’m really close with my family and my girlfriend. I spoke to them lots because we speak regularly but of course, it’s good to have that support network and all your loved ones around you. It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.
“They were all really excited for me. Every footballer wants to play abroad and challenge themselves and I think they knew that was my goal. I just hope they miss me back home!”
With the offer on the table, Priestman had made up his mind and began to pack his bags and move to the other side of the world. No doubts were lingering in his mind as he felt that the timing was right for him to move away from Western Sydney Wanderers.
After making 58 appearances, his two years were littered with success and progression at Wanderers, but now was the correct timing for a new adventure.
“I’d had a couple of good years in the A-League, but we didn’t quite get over the line in terms of winning it,” Priestman explained.
“We had a really good year, and my development as a player was apparent. It was too good an opportunity to join this group of players and staff. I’d never move to a new club outside of Australia, and it was made even more hectic because I knew I was travelling to China the week after arriving in Scotland to play for the Australia Under 23s.
“So, I knew I wouldn’t be here long before I got on another international flight. It was nerve-wracking, of course it was, but it was exciting too, as I knew I was about to enter into a new stage of my life which would have lots of cool, new experiences. All the boys were really good when I first arrived, and it was nice to hear familiar accents from Johnny [Koutroumbis] and Apostolos [Stamatelopoulos]. They have shared experiences, and they were both so kind in helping me get settled.”
As he began his new chapter, Priestman would have to show patience in his first few months at Motherwell. Midfielders Lukas Fadinger, Elliot Watt, Elijah Just and Callum Slattery were all performing at a high level and receiving plenty of acclaim from those who watched.
Their success meant Priestman would only make six late substitute appearances in his first nine available matches. Playing just 56 minutes in those matches combined, some players may have concerns about whether his new destination was the correct one. But Priestman showed professionalism and class, and when he got his opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands.
“I think every footballer wants to play as much as they can,” Priestman added.
“But I’m conscious that we have a really strong squad that are playing so well at the minute. Hopefully, that continues until the end of the season. For me, I just came in every day and trained as hard as I could, and I’ve always believed that if you do that, the opportunities will arrive, and that’s when you have to take them.
“Elliot is an unbelievable player and what a season he’s had so far. I just wanted to come in and do as well as I could. It’s not about playing how Elliot plays; it’s about playing how I play because we’re two different players. Hopefully I can just continue to play and get minutes.”
With Elliot Watt sidelined for a few weeks, Priestman has had to step up to the fold and play a pivotal role in the heart of the Motherwell side. Having been handed his debut against Hibernian in November, he would also start against Falkirk and champions Celtic, where he impressed on both occasions.
With seemingly a strong chance of more minutes consecutively currently, Priestman has integrated well thus far.
“The Gaffer and the coaching staff ensure all the roles are very clear,” Priestman stated.
“I’ve been here for a little while now so I understand how they want me to play in the system. All the players make it really easy for someone to slot into the team. I found out the day before the Hibernian game that I was getting my first start; the Gaffer and I had a word about it. We’d played just a couple days before that so it did cross my mind that there would be changes to the side but it was exciting to get the shout.
“It had been a while until I got my first start, so I was just buzzing to get out there, and thankfully, the game went well. Even playing against Celtic at Fir Park, it may have looked like a daunting prospect but as a player, you want to play against the best teams with the biggest atmospheres. It had been a long time since we’d beaten Celtic so it was nice to achieve that for the supporters too.
“In terms of opposition, I don’t think I’ve been part of a team that has beaten a stronger side. Celtic would be stronger than most A-League teams, I think. The games in Scotland are quicker and it’s physical but I’ve enjoyed it. Everyone wants to challenge themselves against the best, so for me, it’s been exciting so far.
“This move is an upward one for me in terms of my career progression. We’re really strong as a group, and everyone has bought into what the manager has been asking for. Everyone comes into training and gives their maximum, and that’s the same for those who aren’t getting the minutes they want. But it means because they’re fully sharp, they’re ready to come in and do a job.”
It’s been a new chapter for Priestman. A new country. New teammates. A new life. But it’s also been a completely brand new style of football.
As well as settling in and biding his time, Priestman has been putting in the time behind the scenes learning this new style of play that Jens Berthel Askou demands.
“The messages are so detailed and easy to understand,” the 22-year-old said.
“I’ve learnt so much even in my short time here. The manager has been helping me, as well as Max [Rogers] and Jon [Obika]. They all help with positioning, which is so important as a midfielder. People say the style is brave when we’re passing it around our own box. But it comes from consistency in training and messaging.
“You then see it in games and it’s a big change from what I’ve been used to back home. I’ve never really been in a team that does this, so it has been an adjustment. Lots of teams in Australia try and play in a possession-based style and play good football, but to this extent here, I haven’t seen many teams back home try it. I remember my first week, and I was just in shock when I saw it.
“It was surprising some of the football we were playing. But in saying that, there’s been such a massive buy-in from the group, and I think you can see that when we execute it in matches. It’s really effective and I think I’ve been getting better with every game.
“I just want to play as much as possible and contribute to the success here. There’s still a long way to go, and the external praise we get, we can’t control. We’ve been doing a good job at blocking that out and focusing on our game. We’ve got a lot of games coming up, and that’s going to be another tough test for us. There’s a lot of games coming up in a short space of time.
“We’ll stay in the moment to ensure our concentration remains high. Every game in this league is going to be difficult.”
