Mark Viduka facts for kids
Viduka playing for Australia in 2005
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 9 October 1975 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | AIS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Melbourne Knights | 48 | (40) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Dinamo Zagreb | 84 | (40) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Celtic | 37 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Leeds United | 130 | (59) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Middlesbrough | 72 | (26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle United | 38 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 491 | (202) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Australia U20 | 20 | (32) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2000 | Australia U23 | 21 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2007 | Australia | 43 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Mark Antony Viduka, born on October 9, 1975, is a famous Australian former soccer player. He was a powerful forward who scored many goals. Mark Viduka was the captain of the Australian national team, often called the Socceroos, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They reached the Round of 16, which is still one of their best results ever. He also scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League, more than any other Australian player.
Contents
Mark Viduka's Club Journey
Starting in Australia: Melbourne Knights
Mark Viduka began his professional soccer career in Australia in 1993. He played for a team called Melbourne Knights. In his two seasons there, he was the top goal scorer in the National Soccer League (NSL). He also won the Johnny Warren Medal twice, which is given to the best player in the NSL. The Knights' home stadium even renamed a section the "Mark Viduka Stand" in his honor.
Playing in Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb
In 1995, Viduka moved to Croatia to play for Croatia Zagreb (now called Dinamo Zagreb). He spent three and a half years with the team. During this time, his team won many titles, including three "doubles" (winning both the league and cup in the same year). He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time with this club.
Moving to Scotland: Celtic
Celtic, a big club in Scotland, bought Viduka in 1998. After some initial issues, he started playing for them in February 1999. In his first full season, he scored 27 goals and was voted the Scottish Player of the Year. He was known for his skill and ability to hold the ball and help his teammates. In March 2000, he helped Celtic win the 1999-2000 Scottish League Cup.
Starring in England: Leeds United
In 2000, Viduka joined Leeds United in England. He quickly became a key player. In his first season, he scored 22 goals, including all four goals in an amazing 4-3 win against Liverpool. He helped Leeds finish high in the league and play in European competitions. Even though big clubs like A.C. Milan and Manchester United were interested in him, he stayed with Leeds.
In the 2002-03 season, he scored another 22 goals. He even scored the winning goal against Arsenal that helped Leeds avoid being relegated (moved down to a lower league). However, Leeds United faced financial problems. In 2004, Leeds was relegated, and Viduka was sold to Middlesbrough.
Success at Middlesbrough
Viduka joined Middlesbrough in 2004. In his second season, 2005-06, he was in incredible form. He scored many goals and helped Middlesbrough reach the UEFA Cup final. They had an amazing journey, coming back from being three goals down in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals! Even though they lost the final, it was a memorable season. In his third season, he scored 19 goals. He left Middlesbrough in 2007 to join Newcastle United.
Final Club: Newcastle United
Mark Viduka signed with Newcastle United in 2007. He scored his first goal against his old club, Middlesbrough. He often played alongside other strong strikers like Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins. Injuries affected his time at Newcastle, but he still showed his skill. He played his last game for Newcastle in 2009 before leaving the club.
Mark Viduka's International Career
Playing for Australia
Mark Viduka could have played for Australia, Croatia, or Ukraine because of his family background. He chose to play for Australia and made his debut in 1994 when he was just 18 years old. He scored his first international goal in 1997.
He also played for the Australian Olympic team, known as the Olyroos, in the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Olympic Games.
Viduka was part of the Australian team that tried to qualify for the World Cup in 1997 and 2001, but they didn't make it. In 1997, he played in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup and scored a goal against Mexico.
Captaining the Socceroos
In 2005, Mark Viduka became the captain of the Australian national team. He scored two goals in his first game as captain against the Solomon Islands, including an amazing bicycle-kick goal! He led Australia to a big win against Jamaica too.
Under coach Guus Hiddink, Viduka captained Australia as they qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. This was a huge moment, as it was the first time Australia had qualified for the World Cup in 32 years!
At the 2006 World Cup, Viduka led Australia to their first-ever World Cup finals victory, a 3-1 win over Japan. They also played against Brazil and Croatia. He then led Australia into the second round, where they lost to Italy in a close match.
After the 2006 World Cup, Viduka thought about retiring from international soccer. However, he decided to keep playing and competed in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. He scored two goals in a friendly match against Singapore before the tournament. In the Asian Cup, he captained the team and scored goals against Iraq and Thailand. Australia reached the quarter-finals but lost to Japan. After this, he didn't play for the Socceroos again, retiring from international soccer at age 34.
Mark Viduka's Life Off the Field
Mark Viduka is married to Ivana, and they have three sons: Joseph, Lucas, and Oliver. His father moved to Australia from Croatia in the 1960s. Interestingly, famous Croatian footballer Luka Modrić is his cousin!
Today, Mark Viduka lives in Zagreb, Croatia. He owns a coffee shop there and enjoys making coffee.
A song was even written about him by an English singer-songwriter named Alistair Griffin. The song was based on the tune of "Hallelujah" and was released to raise money for charity.
When he was a kid, Viduka was a huge fan of AC Milan, a famous Italian club. He looked up to players like Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, and Ruud Gullit. In Australia, he is sometimes called "V-Bomber" or "Big Dukes."
Images for kids
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Viduka warming up for Newcastle
