© EuroFootball.com
The captain of the Australian national team and club striker Mark Viduka is postponing his plans and is not planning to leave the national team, saying he will leave the team after the 2007 Asian Cup tournament.
The 30-year-old player considered the possibility of ending his career in the national team and focusing the remaining attention on the "Middlesbrough" club.
"It is a great commitment to play for the Australian national team because we travel a lot and are far from our families," the player told the "Boro" website.
M.Viduka, who played 37 matches and scored 6 goals wearing the "kangaroos" shirt, was a key figure in helping his team reach the quarter-finals of this year's World Cup.
However, the Australian decided to leave the national team and focus all his attention on the "Boro" team after his team suffered a painful defeat to the current World Cup champions Italy in the last minutes of the competition.
"When we reached such heights, many of us wondered if it could get any better," added the player.
M.Viduka said he had reached an agreement with interim Australian national team coach Graham Arnold and will be able to miss two qualifying matches for the 2007 Asian Championship against the Kuwaiti team. The Australian requested such a possibility because his wife is expecting.
"Arnold and I agreed on this, and since my wife is expecting, at the moment I want to be as close to my family as possible," said the 30-year-old striker.
