Mark Viduka To Play For Australia At 2010 World Cup

Mark Viduka will represent Australia at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, according to his agent Steve Kutner.

Speaking to The World Game website, Kutner revealed that the striker is currently considering offers from English Premier League clubs now that he is out of contract with recently relegated Newcastle United.

''His reason in continuing to play on at the top level in England is to make sure he's there in South Africa,” Kutner said. “He's feeling fit again and he's hungry.

''He’s mulling over a couple of offers from two very good sides and a final decision will be made when he returns [from Croatia] in a week or so.

"I have to keep quiet on who they are for obvious reasons but the offers are there in front of us and an official announcement will be made soon.”

Kutner confirmed that Viduka was only willing to play Premier League football next season and that he has overcome the injury problems that dogged him during his two years on Tyneside.

The 33 year-old has not represented his country since captaining them at the 2007 Asian Cup and at the beginning of the year was said to have considered retirement from the game by Australia coach Pim Verbeek.

Viduka then added legitimacy to claims to his international career was over by rejecting the call to join the Dutchman’s squad for Australia’s final World Cup Qualifiers in June.

Verbeek maintained however that Viduka’s reasoning was sound and that at the time he needed to focus on a difficult period in his club career.

His return in a green and gold jersey might come on August 12, when the Socceroos play the Republic of Ireland in a historic friendly in Limerick.

Calls for Viduka’s return to the national team set-up have been widespread over the past few months, coming from former greats such as Adrian Alston and current team-mates such as Jason Culina.

Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com

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