Where is viduka now

The former Socceroos forward hung up the boots in after a glittering career that saw him line up in the Premier League for Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.

In his final season with Newcastle, Viduka made just 12 appearances without scoring as injuries took their toll. The Aussie remained a wanted man, however, but ultimately felt the time was right to walk away before he left a bad impression on fans. In my head I was there, on the end of the cross. In reality, I was a split-second late.

I had to be honest with myself, and Roy. Only one Newcastle player intervened. He got sent off for no reason and Alan had a go at him. He was out of order, and he knew it. So he sat down. His only cause to play peacemaker is between his three teenage sons. So why here? Why not his native Melbourne? Or Middlesbrough? He smiles. So here we are. The manager of UB40 runs a local brewery. Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic is a regular at Viduka's coffee shop.

But that tranquility was shattered, quite literally, on a Sunday morning in March of last year, when an earthquake of magnitude 5.

Remarkably, only one person died. We were lucky it happened at 6. I dread to think how much worse it could have been. We had to sit in the car for hours, terrified of aftershocks.

You realise how weak we are compared to nature. An army veteran from the Croatian War of Independence shuffles into the cafe. Viduka says hello. When he first arrived here in , it was during the final months of the conflict. Franjo Tudjman - president of the country and Croatia Zagreb - had persuaded him to sign.

Tranquility in Zagreb was shattered in March when a 5. He can smile about one or two memories of that period now, but the horror of the hostility remains, especially as extended family were killed. I was a kid, it was scary. In thirty seconds, everyone disappeared. Even the tram driver jumped out and ran somewhere. I just started legging it back to my hotel and ran to my room on the 16th floor!

Come , Viduka was escaping Zagreb for different reasons, caught in the vicious crossfire of domestic politics given his association with Tudjman. He signed for Celtic but, infamously, fled to Melbourne just days after arriving in Glasgow. But I went through hell here in Zagreb. I need a break. I was honest with myself and with them. But it backfires.

The club was in turmoil but I was top scorer and player of the year. I really left my heart there. I refuse to accept it when someone says otherwise. He by no means did court docket the limelight.

This is his first newspaper interview since retiring in For whereas Viduka cherished the sport, he loathed the politics and falsity. But there was, he believes, a false impression about him. It is true. Many anticipate to meet a brooding, intense, distant soul. I still feel it today. But I all the time tried to keep true to myself. I used to be born and raised in Australia however my mother and father had been Croatian.

Are they good people or just playing the game? Our dialog detours to Joey Barton, his ex-Newcastle team-mate. Viduka, for the file, sees the great in him. Barton had been despatched off for a lunge on Xabi Alonso, later admitting he was exacting revenge.

Newcastle lost and, within the dressing-room, Barton and supervisor Alan Shearer clashed. Only one Newcastle participant intervened.

He got sent off for no reason and Alan had a go at him. He was out of order, and he knew it. So he sat down. His solely trigger to play peacemaker is between his three teenage sons. So why right here? Why not his native Melbourne? Or Middlesbrough? He smiles. The manager of UB40 runs a local brewery. But that tranquility was shattered, fairly actually, on a Sunday morning in March of final year, when an earthquake of magnitude 5. Remarkably, just one particular person died. We had been fortunate it occurred at 6.

The biggest question though is whether the latest club, Campbelltown based Macarthur FC, will actually make the start line.

Mark Viduka has made a dramatic life shift since exiting football and now reportedly owns a coffee shop in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.

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