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Mark Viduka

by Marc Fox

Viduka's World Cup dreams diminishing

Mark Viduka's rumoured pay-as-you-play deal in England will provide cold comfort to coach Pim Verbeek as he draws up his Socceroos shortlist for South Africa 2010.

Viduka, although acting to the contrary, hasn’t entirely ruled out a belated comeback at next year's World Cup despite not figuring in the qualification campaign under Verbeek as Australia swept into the finals.

He last played for the national team at the 2007 Asian Cup and his career has been on a downward trajectory ever since. He switched Middlesbrough for Newcastle United under a blaze of controversy, but groin and Achilles injuries meant Viduka made little impact as the Magpies lost their top flight status last year.

The former Socceroos captain has remained clubless since the start of the month while his agent Steve Kuttner searched for interested parties.

Viduka, who has also played in the Croatian and Scottish leagues since leaving Melbourne, has been eyeing a swansong in La Liga but no suitors have materialised and he has been left to pursue a last hurrah in England.

It's been made clear by Verbeek and the national team hierarchy that any international U-turn will heavily depend on the 33-year-old proving his fitness and form over the coming 10-month domestic season.

But it appears from reports that the terms of any likely deal will heavily depend on Viduka's contribution on the pitch, with a deal structured around the amount of games he actually manages to play this year – not the ideal scenario for the national team.

Hull City and Portsmouth are the only clubs interested in gambling on Viduka, according to newspaper reports in Australia. However, the relegation candidates are hardly expected to fill Verbeek with confidence as he assesses his options for 2010.

Ladbrokes make Hull third favourites and Portsmouth fifth favourites to be relegated, even with the latter's recent takeover by Dubai-born billionaire Sulaiman Al Fahim.

Hull manager Phil Brown played down the speculation without completely ruling out a move for the Australian as long as the striker can prove his appetite for the fight and overcome major concerns about his fitness.

Brown is readying for the club's second Premier League season – known to be notoriously tough – and has been gunning for experience upfront.

He was the first manager to break ranks and admit his interest in Viduka's former Newcastle team-mate Michael Owen and strongly pursued Marc-Antoine Fortune, who spent the second-half of last season loaned to West Brom, as he tries to bolster his current strikers of Daniel Cousin and Caleb Folan.

Portsmouth are hardly blessed with an abundance of attacking options either. New permanent manager Paul Hart has already lost Jermain Defoe with Peter Crouch looking likely to rejoin Defoe and Harry Redknapp at Spurs, where started his career.

With significant investment in the south coast club also on the cards, Hart should have the resources to invest in Viduka's match fees.

But questions remain as to whether the player's arrival on a free transfer would appease Pompey fans or whether Viduka could get himself motivated to play for a manger such as Hart.

Meanwhile, Socceroos central defender Patrick Kisnorbo has opted for another of Viduka's old clubs, Leeds United, signing a two-year deal after being released by Leicester City.

Kisnorbo snubbed interest from Championship sides Crystal Palace and Derby County to agree terms with the ambitious League One club.

The surprising change of heart shows the 28-year-old fringe Socceroo's desire to play as many games as possible leading into the World Cup after just 10 games last season for Leicester following a second serious knee injury in a year.

In his mind must be the memory that Verbeek plucked then-Colchester United captain Chris Coyne, now of Perth Glory, from England lower leagues when Craig Moore was missing with Coyne establishing himself as a Socceroos squad regular.

"Leeds has a great tradition and history and I want to be part of a successful club," Kisnorbo told the club's website. "Other clubs were interested but I saw more in this club than in the others. None of them appealed to me as much."

Marc Fox

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