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Exclusive: Kuwait Clash My Best Chance Of First Socceroo Cap - Danny Vukovic
It's a big opportunity for the 24 year-old.
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Dec 23, 2009 1:13:29 AM
Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic says Australia’s Asian Cup Qualifier against Kuwait on January 6 represents his best ever chance of earning a first senior international cap.
No stranger to international call-ups, the 24 year-old faces a three-way battle with rival A-League goalkeepers Eugene Galekovic and Tando Velaphi for a starting place between the posts in Kuwait City.
Adelaide United custodian Galekovic provides particular opposition as the competition’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year and someone who has started in two of Australia’s Asian Cup Qualifiers.
But youth international Vukovic is confident of his chances of breaking into the first-team this time around.
“From my perspective I think it’s the best chance I’ve had to date to play for the Socceroos,” Vukovic told Goal.com.
“I’ve been in numerous camps but realistically I don’t think I was ready at the time; there were goalkeepers in front of me who were better suited to the game.
“But this one is very even between myself, Eugene and Tando - any one of us could have that spot.”
Indeed, it is with good reason the 24 year-old is confident as he is currently enjoying one of his best seasons at club level with the Central Coast.
He has kept eight clean sheets in 19 matches and has marshalled the league’s best back-line, which has conceded only 17 goals.
It has been an amazing turn around in the past few months for a player who was crucified by the league’s disciplinary committee for his controversial actions in the 2008 Grand Final, where he manhandled referee Mark Shield and was subsequently handed a lengthy ban from domestic football – a decision which also prevented him from going to the Beijing Olympics.
With those days behind him, Vukovic is beginning to live up to his tag as one of the country’s brightest prospects.
At just 24 years-old, he realizes that whilst the range of goalkeeping options available to Pim Verbeek makes it difficult to break into Socceroos camps let alone starting line-ups, the experience is invaluable for a developing ‘keeper.
He continued, “It’s always going to be tough when you’ve got a player like Mark Schwarzer in front of you and there’s only one goalkeeping spot. The times that you do get a chance to show what you can do, you’ve got to take it with both hands and run with it.
“[But] It’s just a great experience to be with these boys, to be training with Australia’s best players and Australia’s best coaches. It’s an exciting time for myself and one that I’m going to relish and try to make the most of.”
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
No stranger to international call-ups, the 24 year-old faces a three-way battle with rival A-League goalkeepers Eugene Galekovic and Tando Velaphi for a starting place between the posts in Kuwait City.
Adelaide United custodian Galekovic provides particular opposition as the competition’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year and someone who has started in two of Australia’s Asian Cup Qualifiers.
But youth international Vukovic is confident of his chances of breaking into the first-team this time around.
“From my perspective I think it’s the best chance I’ve had to date to play for the Socceroos,” Vukovic told Goal.com.
“I’ve been in numerous camps but realistically I don’t think I was ready at the time; there were goalkeepers in front of me who were better suited to the game.
“But this one is very even between myself, Eugene and Tando - any one of us could have that spot.”
Indeed, it is with good reason the 24 year-old is confident as he is currently enjoying one of his best seasons at club level with the Central Coast.
He has kept eight clean sheets in 19 matches and has marshalled the league’s best back-line, which has conceded only 17 goals.
It has been an amazing turn around in the past few months for a player who was crucified by the league’s disciplinary committee for his controversial actions in the 2008 Grand Final, where he manhandled referee Mark Shield and was subsequently handed a lengthy ban from domestic football – a decision which also prevented him from going to the Beijing Olympics.
With those days behind him, Vukovic is beginning to live up to his tag as one of the country’s brightest prospects.
At just 24 years-old, he realizes that whilst the range of goalkeeping options available to Pim Verbeek makes it difficult to break into Socceroos camps let alone starting line-ups, the experience is invaluable for a developing ‘keeper.
He continued, “It’s always going to be tough when you’ve got a player like Mark Schwarzer in front of you and there’s only one goalkeeping spot. The times that you do get a chance to show what you can do, you’ve got to take it with both hands and run with it.
“[But] It’s just a great experience to be with these boys, to be training with Australia’s best players and Australia’s best coaches. It’s an exciting time for myself and one that I’m going to relish and try to make the most of.”
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
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