Steve Bruce: Australia loan move will benefit Ross McCormack
Steve Bruce hopes a move Down Under can kickstart Ross McCormack’s career as the Villa outcast mulls over a switch to Melbourne City.
Villa have agreed a loan deal with the A-League club for McCormack, who must now decide whether he wants to make the switch.
The £12million striker is well down the pecking order after failing to seal a move away during the summer.
Bruce has now revealed the club received no firm offers for McCormack, who has made just two substitute appearances for Villa this season.
“Nobody came in for him,” said Bruce. “Sunderland played at it but it didn’t come through.
“Unfortunately that’s where we were left.
“I was a bit shocked about it but that’s the brutal harsh reality about it - nobody came in for him.
“I believe the clubs have agreed (Villa and Melbourne). It’s over to Ross.
“I wish him the best of luck no matter what people think and all the rest of it.
“He needs to go and play and get himself in the right condition for it. It could be the perfect fit for him.”
McCormack has netted just three goals for Villa since a big money move from Fulham in August 2016 and had a high-profile falling out with Bruce.
McCormack angered the Villa boss when he claimed he was not able to attend training, due to the gates to his house being stuck.
The former Rangers and Leeds hitman spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest and though he returned to the fold for the start of pre-season, McCormack was unable to force his way back into Bruce’s plans.
