No room for Lucas Neill in the Socceroos squad for Brazil World Cup

HE’S tried his best, but embattled former Socceroos captain Lucas Neill won’t be going to Brazil. Here’s what people think of Ange Postecoglou’s decision.

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May 6, 2014 - 9:05PM

HE’S tried his best, but embattled former Socceroos captain Lucas Neill, 36, won’t be going to Brazil. Here’s what people think of national coach Ange Postecoglou’s decision.

Wait, what? Lucas Neill has been axed from Socceroos squad?

Within minutes of FoxSports breaking the news, Twitter lit up with supporters and detractors both putting forward their opinions.

After trialling without success at his former club Blackburn and sitting on the bench for four weeks at Watford, Neill moved to South Yorkshire two weeks ago on a month-long loan to help Doncaster avoid relegation. His first game was in the win against Leeds, earning him a spot in the Championship League’s Team of the Week.

The signs hadn’t been good in the lead-up to the fresh decision.

Socceroo’s coach Ange Postecoglou said previously: “I’m not going to put a line through anyone’s career, especially to one of the champions of our game,” he said. “If Lucas is working really hard and believes he can be there, I’m not going to discourage that because I want players who are hungry to be at the World Cup. We need people fighting and scraping to get into the squad.”

Lucas Neill’s response to Ange’s decision

Lucas Neill has worn the captain’s armband for the Socceroos on 61 occasions.

In recent years Neill’s detractors have labelled him arrogant. Given his latest dealings with the local media it would seem his long and dispiriting quest to find a playing home over the past six months has given him a dose of humility.

- with Mike Colman, The Courier-Mail and Daniel Garb, FoxSports