Mark Viduka breaks silence on Harry Kewell feud; ‘sulking’ Lucas Neill
When two of the Socceroos’ most-talented attackers landed on a team many believed could claim Champions League glory, Australian fans rejoiced. Yet things weren’t as rosy as they seemed.
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When Mark Viduka moved from Scottish giants Celtic to Premier League heavyweights Leeds in 2000, Australian fans were ecstatic. Two of the Socceroos’ most-talented attackers lining up together in a side that many believed could claim Champions League glory? It was a dream come true.
But, Viduka says, things weren’t as optimistic behind the scenes.
“At Leeds, it got to the point, if Harry and I were in the sheds by ourselves, we wouldn’t even look at each other,” Viduka said. “It was that bad.”
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According to Viduka, his sour relationship with his former agent Bernie Mandic affected Kewell’s perception of him.
“I had a problem with [Kewell’s agent] Bernie Mandic. Bernie was my agent when he took me from Celtic to Leeds, but … I severed ties with Bernie.
“I think maybe our relationship at Leeds wasn’t that good because — and I can’t say for sure — I think that affected the way [Kewell] viewed me.”
Their relationship has healed over time, though Viduka says: “we last spoke in 2013.”
Viduka banged in 22 goals in his first season, including four in one remarkable comeback win over Liverpool. Leeds reached the Champions League semi-final and finished in the PL’s top four.
Little wonder clubs across Europe were lining up to sign the Australian goal machine.
SULKING LUCAS NEILL
The Socceroos legend accused former Aussie teammates of undermining his captaincy and tearing the team apart.
In a revealing exclusive interview with ESPN, Viduka opened up on the Socceroos’ disastrous 2007 Asian Cup campaign - just one year after the incredible highs of the 2006 World Cup.
Having entered the tournament as favourites Australia was dumped out of their first-ever AFC continental tournament at the quarterfinals despite fielding a similar squad to Germany ‘06.
Now Viduka claims selfish teammates destroyed the side’s sense of unity – and cost Socceroos coach Graham Arnold his job.
“I think some people came to that Asian Cup thinking more about themselves more than the national team,” Viduka told ESPN.
“I think Lucas Neill came to that Asian Cup at that stage not in a good state of mind because of the fact that Graham Arnold had offered him the captaincy because he wasn’t sure I was coming to the Asian Cup or not.
“Once I was at the Asian Cup, either (Arnold) wasn’t brave enough to tell me that I wasn’t captain anymore, and I felt Lucas Neill was sulking the whole Asian Cup through the preparations for it and through the Asian Cup, and it affected other players.
“I think Lucas tried to undermine me. His priority was to be captain — more because of his other activities off the pitch rather than on the pitch stuff. That’s my opinion. That was the main reason I stopped playing for the national team.”
Viduka had never wanted the captaincy the same way he says other teammates did. It was thrust upon him by then-coach Gus Hiddink ahead of the 2006 World Cup.
“Guus came to me, and he said, ‘Look, I’d like you to be captain (permanently),’” Viduka says.
“It’s a huge honour, and I’m not one of the guys whose dream is about being captain of anything, really.
“(Craig Moore) would have been the better person to do it, playing at the back and all that. But Guus had to make the call because he didn’t know if (Moore’s) injury would come good. I felt bad because he’s a good mate.
“It was actually a bit of a burden to me, but I’d never knock it back.”
A year later, a limp Asian Cup campaign ended with defeat to Japan on penalties, and Viduka soon retired from international duty. It’s a decision he says he doesn’t regret.
“Do I regret stopping? No,” he said
“Because my problem was that my generation of players that I grew up with were a different breed to the new generation, and to be the honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the new generation of players.
“A lot of them were more interested in how many deals they were doing on the side, through sponsorship and getting their heads on the television, than actually playing for the national team.”
Originally published as Mark Viduka breaks silence on Harry Kewell feud; ‘sulking’ Lucas Neill