How Melbourne Victory saved Mark Milligan and the Socceroos

Mark Milligan pinpointed Melbourne Victory and Ange Postecoglou as the keys behind his Socceroos success.

Mark Milligan, centre, said he found a new lease on life after rejoining Melbourne Victory at the urging of former coach Ange Postecoglou. Picture: Getty Images

Mark Milligan pinpointed Melbourne Victory and Ange Postecoglou as the keys behind his Socceroos success.

The 34-year-old midfielder also revealed that a chat with incoming coach Graham Arnold after the 2018 World Cup convinced him to play on, with a gaping Socceroos leadership role looming in the wake of Tim Cahill’s and Mile Jedinak’s exits from the international stage.

Now based with English club Southend United, Milligan, who earlier this week announced his own retirement from international soccer, will focus on a relegation scrap with the League One club and his future coaching ambitions.

Milligan admitted that his Socceroos career had reached a fork in the road in 2012, after injury ruled him out of the 2011 Asian Cup off the back of a second successive World Cup selection but non-appearance. He joined Victory in 2012 after an initial loan stint, and by 2018, after a second spell at the club, Milligan left Victory a club great, leading them to a title in his 96 games over two stints.

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“Going home at that period, I knew it could go either way. If I didn’t perform, I was aware that could’ve been the end of my international career,” Milligan said.

“That decision to go back to Victory was the turning point for me. I went back on loan for 10 games just before Ange came in (at Victory), went back to Japan and it was that off-season I got the chance to go back when Ange came in and with the success he’d had in Brisbane, that was a major factor in deciding to go there.

“It really helped me at club level and guaranteed my Socceroos future. Holger (Osieck) showed faith in me, gave me the chance to become a starting XI player. It was down to that period, making the choice to go back to Australia and play, a lot of players have seen it’s not that easy to come back and continue with the Socceroos. You’re right in the headlights with everyone seeing and judging.

“If you make that decision you have to make sure you go back to Australia with the right intentions, make sure you work hard and you’re in the spotlight.”

Milligan knew the October World Cup qualifier against Nepal would be his last game, but had put plans on hold 15 months earlier.

“I had pretty much made up my mind (after the 2018 World Cup), not 100 per cent. My discussions with Arnie and what he wanted from me going forward convinced me to hang around and help out for a bit longer,” he said.

When asked if Cahill’s and Jedinak’s retirements influenced his decision to stay he replied: “Absolutely. That experience in the national team is very important, the only way you can get that is by playing and being involved. A few of them had been around and not played a great number of games ... the international experience would’ve been thin.”

Milligan, who finishes as the equal eighth most-capped Socceroo (80 games), felt now was the right time to depart.

“I never wanted to be forced out. Now after talks with Arnie, the team’s in a good place. He’s settled into the role, they’ve been doing well. It was the right time for everyone,” Milligan said.

HERALD SUN