World Cup South Africa 2010
History - Groups - Players - Venues
Favorite Players by Country (Germany 2006)
Group F - Australia:
Mark Viduka
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia
Date of Birth: October 9th, 1975
Position: Striker
Clubs: Melbourne Croatia, Croatia Zagreb, Celtic Park, Leeds United, Middlesbrough
Celtic bought him in December 1998 for £3.5 million. He was voted Scottish Premier League Player of the Year after scoring 27 goals in his first full season at Celtic Park. He was regarded as a skilled player, able to hold the ball up well and bring other players into the game.
The Leeds United manager David O'Leary swooped for Viduka just before the 2000/2001 season after tracking the big Aussie striker for some time. He ended the 1999/2000 SPL season by failing to score any goals in his final seven appearances of the campaign. Celtic's newly-installed manager, Martin O'Neill, immediately sold him to the Yorkshire club.
In the 2002/03 campaign Viduka scored another 22 goals, forming a good partnership with Smith and feeding off a rich supply line provided by Kewell. However, Leeds' off-pitch financial troubles prompted speculation that Viduka would join the Leeds exodus with Barcelona (Spanish Primera Liga).
On 8 July, Viduka's transfer to Middlesbrough was completed. Viduka's debut season at Boro was initially impressive albeit frustrated by injuries. The 2005-06 however, Mark Viduka has been in sensational form in all competitions for Middlesbrough FC getting into double figures early on in the season.
He has captained the Australian national team since September 2005, in place of the injured Craig Moore, the regular captain. Since the arrival of Guus Hiddink as coach of the national squad, Viduka has thrived and grown as a leader of the team, as may be expected at the relatively mature age of thirty. He recently succeeded in captaining Australia to the 2006 World Cup in Germany over a two-leg qualifier against Uruguay, the first time in 32 years that Australia will be at the event.
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