Oz coach in Viduka mission

Mar 9 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

AUSTRALIA coach Pim Verbeek will make a round-the-world dash next month to try to persuade Newcastle’s Mark Viduka to prolong his international career.

Verbeek has been in regular contact with Viduka as the 32-year-old ponders whether to add to his 43 caps for the Socceroos.

Although – to Newcastle’s relief – Verbeek will not call upon Viduka for Australia’s match in China on March 11, he sees the striker as potentially playing a pivotal role in his country’s other World Cup qualifiers this year.

The hope is that Viduka will figure in a hectic summer programme of matches in the so-called “Group of Death” against Qatar, China and Iraq.

“I have made an appointment to see Mark (in Newcastle) in April, but we don’t need him for a game like this (China),” Verbeek said.

“We’ve discussed how he (Viduka) felt, and he said: ‘I’m getting fitter and fitter’.

And Verbeek is confident that all his Europe-based players will heed his selection call in the coming months.

“I think their commitment to Australia is so high that if I need them, they will come.”