No surprises that Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill is desperate to wrap up Australia’s World Cup qualification at the start of next month – April fools day – with a win against Uzbekistan.
We’ll be there at ANZ Stadium cheering them on and a 3 pointer will more than likely make his quest for another FIFA World Cup finals appearance more likely to be fulfilled. You could tell those Socceroos were captivated by their last World Cup experience at Germany 2006 and they weren’t going to let anything get in the way of another one.
A little bit more unexpected was Neill’s revelation that he wants to play in the A-League in 2010 after the South African World Cup finishes. He could be playing A-League football in Sydney as early as next year.
Raised on Sydney’s northern beaches, Neill said: “I know I’m not going to be able to play forever in England and the Premier League. But also, I don’t want to leave it too late. I don’t want people to remember me as the guy playing in the A-League who hasn’t got anything left. I want to be able to come back and still be respected on the pitch.”
But Lucas is also an A-League bid financial backer and is part of a consortium asking for a licence for a western Sydney team. The bid is run in conjunction with Inspire Sports Management Company owned by Paddy Dominguez who represents the Socceroo captain.
Lucas is good with his money and he realises an appearance as Captain and Marquee player for the Inspire Sports bid would only magnify the value of his investment. Their 300 page business plan has been well received by the FFA’s own moneymen.
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has been critical of Jason Culina’s decision to return to Australia with Gold Coast United in the A-League next season, claiming it could negatively affect his game. And Neill is taking just as much notice of Pim’s advice as Jason did.
“When I’m back in Australia, I want to be giving back as much as I can to the game in the hope that it brings other players on to play for the Socceroos as well as maybe keeping myself involved,” he said. “The timing and opportunity is now there to go one better and give something more back to the game and the country I love.”
Despite Verbeek’s public battering of the A-League and his freely given advice to stop players coming home to help the sport grow here, FFA has longed for overseas Socceroos to return home and play in the A-League. With Neill’s plan they have got more than they wished for – a successful player investing his energy and money in establishing a club in Sydney’s footballing heartland.
How can the FFA resist?
But Neill’s plans to start up the second New South Wales A-League team are under enormous pressure from a second Sydney West bid – Premier State FC linked with Mark Schwarzer, a Ned Zelic Capital FC Canberra bid and a rival Wollongong bid backed by Socceroo team mates Scott Chipperfield and Tim Cahill.
The Bear
Guest
Pim's opinions have been typically pragmatic. Cynical even. Lucas is much more of a romantic. Kudos to Lucas for his Heart and his money ;-) As for Chris Payne, I picked him as a fantasy league player last season. I invest in the future too!!
jimbo
Guest
Its great to have those ambitions and money isn’t always the deciding factor. Lucas wants to give back some of what he received and has already invested in Australian football and the A-League. He has created the Lucas Neill Scholarship for a promising junior in the Sydney North area to come and train in the UK with Blackburn and West Ham as a guest of the clubs and all expenses paid as part of the scholarship. The first recipient was the then 16 year old Chris Payne who plays in the SFA youth team and has made appearances in the first team.
The Bear
Guest
Pim won't be happy about this. His opinion may be of the ilk that Lucas is being a big homesick girly boy and playing in our domestic comp should be the last thing on his mind. The money is not so good here, too, so why bother?? Personally it seems like Lucas has money to risk and a dream to fulfill.