It’s not surprising.
Dukes always hated pressure and the spotlight.

Im not sure he hated pressure - that would be unfair. He is just recognising that is part of the job being a world famous footballer - and a part that is not always great.

Most famous footballers can't handle it when their careers are over - they are no longer idolised and their status takes a hit. Viduka always struck me as being humble enough to understand football was a bubble and that the simpler things in life ares sometimes the most important. He probably runs his coffee shop at break even and lets his millions invested in property just let him live a super upper class lifestyle with no money worries for the rest of his life..

Jobe Watson seems similar (and did the coffee shop thing)

Smart men

Would like to see that doco when its released. Viduka is a one off.

Sounds like his pie shop in Melbourne did not work out

And why shouldn't a former proud Australian captain go live in his much preferred country of heritage? Happy capuccino!

Proud captain, really?

I agree wit u.

Whatever anyone says about the guy at one point (when Leeds made the Champions league semi finals) He was one of the best strikers in Europe.

His highlights reel (which I just watched for the first time in years) is as good as any. He score amazing goals time after time. His highlights reel is Zlatan esq....

What an enigma - and still shooting straight. There should always be room for dissenting voices. Its probably way made him unique as a player

But couldn't score goals, good or bad, against any reasonably good opposition with the NT.

The big sook never deserved the captaincy.

I think they were hoping the captaincy would mean more goals. I think you are being harsh.Our greatest period (golden generation) had him as our number one man up front. Although he didn't score as mush as he could have - he cause lots of trouble. Opposition teams really feared him (and Kewell) and from a mental and strategic perspective that gave us an edge. 

At the peak of our powers Tim Cahill was a bench player and I think that is a bout right. Timmy scored amazing goals and is a Socceroo legend but he was never viewed in the same class as Viduka who almost signed for Milan and Man united both at the peak of their powers. 

An amazing talent and honestly a top bloke didnt let the fame or money get to his head is very down to earth. 

Was in Croatia last year it is a beautiful country esp the coast and Zargeb is a good city with friendly people i dont blame Dukes for settling live there he still has a house down in Keilor im pretty sure. 

I wish Dukes the all the best, would of been nice if he went into coaching  because we are struggling to produce strikers and he would have unrepeatable knowledge but i think he doesnt like the lime light and he just wants the simple life and who can blame him. 

As so far the NT is concerned, nah, not harsh at all. Not only could he not score a goal during the golden generations 2006 world cup but didn't even provide one single assist. Lazy and cumbersome, he provided plenty of off-sides though.

He was never going to come back and play for Australia in the Asian Cup and had to be persuaded with the captaincy. I think that's what got up the nose of many, most likely Lucas Neill as well. His heart was never in it and should be viewed as a traitor.

The lack of respect for the big man is embarrassing. 

Sounds like some can't take the heat from him.

Paul - my bet is you are Serbian...

Incredible he's not part of the game, imagine what he could have taught to the upcoming strikers In this country.

Worse places in the world to retire than the Dalmatian Coast! I daresay his Aussie dollars and English pounds stretch a lot further in Croatia than here - smart man. Living the dream and enjoying time with his family.

'Viewed as a traitor'. FFS.

Some people are just bitter that he didn't sycophant himself before Australian football in order to gain financial advantage. 

Gee I wonder who did that right?    :D

Dukes was a genuine world class player in terms of ability. He seemed to fluctuate between a nominal amount of professionalism and a "I don't care that much" attitude throughout his career and this held him back from the top.

Same with Harry re. injuries. 

Cahill was a pretty standard footballer that worked extra hard and had a freakish knack for being in the right place at the right time. 

Vidukas Wiki 

His father Joe was from Croatia, from where he immigrated to Australia in the 1960s. Croatian footballer and Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modrić is his cousin.^[45] 

Wow

bitter paulc once again, at least you create response's.
Not everyone is the perfect being mate.
He didn't score, he's this he's that......
I'm sure your not perfect.

Zagreb is not on tbe coast but top spot nonetheless.

Only a two hour drive to the coast - hook the tinnie up and go float in the Mediterranean for the summer.

That's the life!

Yes, it makes Cahill superior to all Aus players. Was certainly not a dear in the headlights in front of goal, in internationals.

You do realise he's role for the national team in most cases was to be a hold up player for the rest of the attackers right? 

As noted by others his role was to have his back to goal and use his strength and skills to set up play.  If it was so easy to score international goals Messi would have scored some in the last WC and he and Baggio wouldn't have missed famous penalties and caused eliminations in WC games. 

Unlike you I am sure that Viduka tried his guts out every time he stepped on the field to play for Australia.  If you want to talk about traitors try Aussie Josip Šimunić who turned his back on Australia and got 3 yellow cards against us in the famous WC game.  I clearly remember him tackling Viduka (a great rugby tackle around the upper body) after trying earlier to hack Kewell out of the game.  Graham Poll what an absolute idiot.  

One thing I will say though.  Is that Viduka had an amazing ability to score heaps of goals when his EPL contract was about to run out.
 

LOL Viduka couldn't even score from the penalty kick vs Uruguay. It's not easy under pressure but other Aussies did it during the 2006 WC as he couldn't even assist. Your last sentence is true and is not unfamiliar for Viduka that he performed well when "he" felt like it. Confirms the point that he was lazy as all f*ck most other times. Could also explain why big clubs didn't pick him up.

How strange for Viduka to be talking now? After all these years. For some reason I always thought the golden gen blokes all got along really well. Shame, as it does tarnish them slightly unfortunately.

Why would you think they all got along really well? 

The Italian World Cup winners from 1982 hated each other...