'The next Mark Viduka' may be lost to Socceroos
RAY GATT
The Australian |March 01, 2014 12:00AM

IT'S hanging up in a room at his parents' house in southwestern Sydney, way too small to wear now and a little faded, but still one of his prized possessions.
Not long before former Socceroo great Johnny Warren passed away, he watched a bunch of juniors strut their stuff before signing a few autographs. As one the kids turned his back so Warren could sign his number 10 Sydney United jersey, he told then eight-year-old Adrian Vranic: "You'll play for Australia one day".

Warren got it half right.

The strapping 1.94cm tall Vranic, now 18 and rated by some as "the next Mark Viduka", is on the verge of cracking international football, not for Australia, but for Croatia.

If he commits to the birthplace of his grandparents, Vranic will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Josip Simunic, Ante Seric and Joey Didulica, who were all born in Australia and played their junior football here before playing for the senior Croatian national team.

Mind you, that is no certainty as Vranic is torn between his love for Australia and his respect for Croatia, a country which is giving him the chance to live his dream of becoming a professional footballer so that he may one day emulate the feats of his heroes, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Viduka.

Vranic's situation could have been different had some A-League clubs had proper talent identification systems. Instead, he was turned away and told he wasn't good enough, even in the knowledge his now Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb had put the wheels in motion to lure him.

But, at this important stage of his career, the skilful striker is not dwelling on the what-could-have-beens.

"I still believe it's a bit early to say," Vranic said when asked if he was disappointed his talent wasn't recognised in Australia. "I've always dreamt of playing for Australia and, at a junior level, it doesn't matter what country you play for you're still not locked in. "My first aim is to do well here. You've had Simunic and (former Socceroo) Viduka both come to Dinamo. If I can achieve half of what they've done here I'd be happy. But, as for now, I have respect that these guys (in Croatia) have given me a chance that I will grab with both hands.

"I'm just a boy from Mt Annan, southwest Sydney, trying to show the world that I'm good enough."

Those officials in higher places in Croatia have been quick to recognise Vranic's talents since he arrived at Dinamo three months ago. After a couple of stunning goalscoring performances in the club's youth side, he was fast tracked into the Croatian under 20s, despite the fact he does not even turn 19 until December.

"That's an opportunity I thought I'd never get," he said. "I am honoured but also it couldn't of happened without many of my teammates. But I still know I have to keep on improving and keep on working hard here."

Vranic, who played his junior football at Sydney United between the ages of five and 10 and had a stint of senior football at Parramatta Eagles, says he is enjoying the surrounds at Dinamo, a club steeped in tradition.

"It's a great club. They are treating me very well.I'm loving it so far. My teammates are fantastic.

"(Luka) Modric and (Zvonimir) Boban are just two of many world-class players to come out of here, so you can understand why it has such a great reputation," he said."

As for the comparisons with Viduka, Vranic said he is "embarrassed and touched", but said he tries to style his game on Sweden international and Paris-Saint Germain striker Ibrahimovic.

"If in my footballing days I can be half the man and footballer Viduka was then I'd be very happy," he says.

"He's played at some terrific clubs all over the world. Mark was also one of my favourite players when I was younger. His technique was phenomenal and he is one of our greatest players ever.

"As for how I play, I'm a bit shorter then him, but I try and mould my game around Ibrahimovic and I've even got the (same) hairdo going. Throughout my career people know that I will put the ball into the net, but I need to work on other aspects of my game, like the off-ball situations.

"I also believe as a footballer you grow as a person. You face multiple hurdles every day, no matter how much you train. You don't know what's going to happen next. I have a lot to learn."

However, as much as he idolises Warren, Viduka and Ibrahimovic, one man stands as Vranic's biggest influence -- his father, Tony.

"Definitely my father has been a massive influence," Vranic said. "I can't remember him not driving me to maybe more than one session throughout my life.

"Dad taught me how football was played in the old NSL days and I grew up playing a European, technical striker type of game.

"Also without the belief from my mother and two sisters I wouldn't be the person I am today.

"Of course, I can never forget Johnny Warren. It meant so much to me that day he signed my jersey and said those nice things about me."

Whether Vranic is lost to Australia remains to be seen, but given the impressive way in which he expressed himself and the fact he has got to where he is without the aid of the elite tax-funded development programs, few would begrudge him succeeding at club and international level.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/the-next-mark-viduka-may-be-lost-to-socceroos/story-fn63e0vj-1226841369250


Cap him!

Edited by Damo Baresi: 2/3/2014 03:59:25 AM

This is happening across the country.Roars one of the worst team for it , just seem to poach from other a league team's youth Squads.

Vranic's situation could have been different had some A-League clubs had proper talent identification systems. Instead, he was turned away and told he wasn't good enough, even in the knowledge his now Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb had put the wheels in motion to lure him.

Subjective

STFU Gnatt you wrote the same shit about Scott McDonald being 'The next Mark Viduka' may be lost to Socceroos' with him and Scotland and we all know how that turned out. Well at least you were half right Scott was the 'The next Mark Viduka' in that he played for celtic and score pretty much fuck all for the national team

It's still disappointing and frustrating that these players are ignored, when respectable euro teams rate them enough to sign them. Do A League sides have any sort of local talent identification?

if they do its pathetic.

+ 1,000,000......

the scouting is an "old boys" club who used to play together and rely on the "noisiest wheel gets the most oil" principle......
they only look for players who "look good" who are generally lazy,inconsistent and don't work "off" the ball........

i have watched and been involved in the NSWPL for over 12 years now and watch players get picked up by A-League teams and wonder how they make it ahead of other players that leave them for dead.......hard to comprehend really.....

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and it is worse now under the new system.

Gatt must be injecting heroin to write this rubbish.
This is someone who made a handful of senior appearances in the second tier in NSW without scoring a goal and even in u20's hardly scored.
There is a lot of influence in which youth get selected though. What about Tom SLater, Slaters son has got a three year contract with the Mariners, at a time where they can;t even afford to have a full squad.
There is a tradition of people paying to get into Australian youth teams that may well be the case now with A-league youth teams, the youth coach may accept bribes to select players in the A-league youth teams. I think its silly to suggest though they will overlook the best youth prospects.

Edited by nickk: 2/3/2014 09:53:34 AM

Its also the problem with having a team such as Sydney UTD(Croatia)
anyone who's been out there can see it's an environment that could be confusing for a young Aussie with Croatian heritage.

cap him

did not see the original cap him so my cap him has been withdrawn

Edited by swarth: 2/3/2014 10:09:46 AM

Costs 20k to get your kid into the Heart Youth team (if they are good enough).

Why?

Well you have to buy boots, shin pads, socks, Heart supporter flag, fuel to drive to games, oranges and a couple of bottles of powerade. All up $20k.

I can't see him being ignored by A league clubs if he had anything near Vidukas talent. Either he isn't good enough or he preferred to play for Dinamo before any A league clubs could snap him up. This story is a bit of sensationalism at best.

There's like an information blackout on this guy online.

Just because you get scouted and picked up by a euro team, doesn't make you a certain star. Even making the A-League and killing it before moving on to Europe doesn't mean you are certain to make it.

If he does make it and commit for Croatia, it'll be pretty sad considering even his parents were born here, but it's hard to be annoyed considering A-league clubs missed him from what it sounds. He also sounds like a pretty normal guy, even unpunchable (unlike Simunic).

Don't foget your own wheelie bin! :lol:

Seriously though Heart operate their academy in a partnership with a private college. I imagine that'll change soon enough with the refounding as City but yes I imagine they'd have to charge.

Yes, the club that has produced more Socceroos than any other is certainly a problem.

I don't see any Vranic in the teamsheets for qualifiers in the last half of last year and so far this year against Czech Republic, Cyprus or Gibraltar for the 2014 UEFA Under-19 Championship, nor against Liechtenstein away, Ukraine, Liechtenstein at home, Switzerland away, Switzerland at home or Latvia for the 2015 UEFA Under-21 Championship.

Am I missing something?

:-k :-k :-k :-k :-k :-k

I found a Viduka and a Culina though!

Ray Gatt must be a family friend...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNK_Dinamo_Zagreb_Academy

He is from Mt Annan which is the Western Sydney Wanderers FC heartland. The two men which pick the players for the Wanderers is the head coach Tony Popovic & his assistant Ante Milicic. There is a Croatian influence there and you could say it's not totally Australia rejecting him. Popovic & Milicic just like this youngster are Australian's of Croatian heritage, born & bred in western Sydney whom played their junior football with Sydney United. It's his own community or system which didn't give him a shot.

In my opinion he should stay at Dinamo Zagreb if he is happy there at the moment. It might make him a better player even if he is loaned out to smaller clubs in Croatia similar to Tomi Juric.

The kid should be equally proud to be Australian as Croatian & not be questioned. In saying all that, I still would love to see him playing for the Socceroos & after he scores his first goal for the Socceroos he lift his jersey over his head to see a photo of Johnny Warren with the words "I TOLD YOU SO".

Why is he listed as Israeli haha?

Also 2 other Australians there, very interesting.

Good thing we still have Juric and Duke in line to be the next Viduka...

Just wish any player could choose whatever country they wanted to play for.

Seems ludicrous sometimes.

Anyone else sick of this bullshit.

There is no such thing as the next "ex legend", it doesn't exist. Every young player is over hyped and they never deliver, we need to get over it.

Each player is their own and it's up to them to make a name for themself, the shoes of the past have nothing to do with the present.

E.g the only thing Rogic is capable of becoming is the "Rogic".