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Mark Viduka
*** Shopping-Tip: Mark Viduka
'''Mark Anthony Viduka''' (born
October 9,
1975 in
Melbourne) is an
Australian
football (soccer) striker of
Croatian and
Ukrainian descent. He currently plays for
Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough in the
FA Premier League English Premier League, and has also played for
Dinamo Zagreb Croatia Zagreb,
Celtic F.C. Celtic and
Leeds United F.C. Leeds.
Viduka started his career in Australia with
Melbourne Knights Melbourne Croatia (Knights) in
1994, and he also became an
Australia national football team Australian international the same year. In
1995 he moved to Croatia to play with
Dinamo Zagreb Croatia Zagreb, where he stayed for three years and made an appearance in the
UEFA Cup.
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.
However, Viduka's often lackadaisical attitude infuriated supporters, and a widely-reported quote where he announced that he was "playing to only about 70 per cent of my capacity up here [Scotland]" did not endear him to either the fans or his fellow team-mates. Moreover, he exhibited a tendency to play anonymously in big games, and scored only one goal in his six
Old Firm derby Old Firm derbies.
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. Leeds paid Celtic £6 million. It had been apparent for some time that Viduka wanted to leave the club -- he ended the 1999/2000
Scottish Premier League 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 and spent the fee on
Chris Sutton.
At Leeds he was expected to line up in a three-pronged attack alongside fellow Aussie
Harry Kewell and
Michael Bridges, but injuries to those two saw him form a partnership with
Alan Smith in Leeds
UEFA Champions League matches, while
Robbie Keane also benefited in their
FA Premier League Premiership matches together. In his first
Elland Road season, Viduka scored 22 goals, including all four in a memorable 4-3 win over
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool at
Elland Road. He signed a new five-year deal in the summer of
2001.
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 the club to sell key players, including Kewell (sold to
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool) and Keane (sold to
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Spurs). This prompted speculation that Viduka would join the Leeds exodus with
FC Barcelona Barcelona (
Spanish Primera Liga) confirming their interest in the Australian international along with Premiership clubs Liverpool and
Manchester United F.C. Manchester United.
With the relegation of Leeds United to the
Football League Championship, the sale of Viduka's contract during the summer of
2004 became all but inevitable. On
8 July, Viduka's transfer to
Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough was completed.
Viduka's debut season at Boro was initially impressive but then tarnished by injuries and he will be hoping that he makes more regular appearances in 2005/2006, although the club has augmented its striking options by signing
Aiyegbeni Yakubu from
Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth.
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.
He is also a keen supporter of
Australian Rules Football, supporting the
Collingwood Football Club.
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=
Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year.html">Henrik Larsson
after=Henrik Larsson|years=2000}}
{{succession box|title=
Oceania Footballer of the Year Oceania Player of the Year|before=
Harry Kewell |after=
Harry Kewell|years=2000}}
{{end box}}
Category:1975 births Viduka, Mark
Category:Living people Viduka, Mark
Category:Australian football (soccer) players Viduka, Mark
Category:Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Viduka, Mark
Category:Olympic competitors for Australia Viduka, Mark
Category:Croatian Australians Viduka, Mark
Category:Celtic F.C. footballers Viduka, Mark
Category:English Premiership players Viduka, Mark
Category:Leeds United F.C. players Viduka
Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players Viduka
Category:People of Melbourne Viduka, Mark
de:Mark Viduka
nl:Mark Viduka
ja:マーク・ヴィドゥカ
pt:Mark Viduka
fi:Mark Viduka
*** Shopping-Tip: Mark Viduka
