A distraught Archie Thompson is taken off the field with a knee injury. Credit:Getty Images The striker was carried off on a stretcher after collapsing under a Michael Marrone challenge as Victory pressed for a late fourth goal. He held his head in his hands, and he was in obvious pain, caused by the severity of the injury, but also the realisation that this is how it might all end: on a wet and cold night in a pre-season cup tie in front of 10,000 of Victory's most faithful fans. Thompson is 37 in October, and a serious knee injury _ which looked like the kind he had sustained _ would surely be career ending. The former Socceroo hit man must now wait for the results of scans, but he will inevitably fear the worst.

That he had even sustained his injury in typical Thompson fashion was somehow apt, if of no consolation. He had come off the bench late in the game and won the penalty that led to Victory's decisive third goal. But pumped with enthusiasm and energy he desperately wanted to get on the scoresheet himself, so even with his side coasting to a win with just a couple of minutes remaining he threw himself into the contest. That is always the way it has been with Thompson. One thing he has craved above all others is goals, and when he only has a few minutes on the pitch he works in more manic fashion than normal. A subdued Muscat tried to put a positive spin on things, but could not disguise his apprehension. "Everything else is irrelevant at this point in time. He is in a great deal of pain. It's too early to make any assumptions. We will have to get him looked at over the next three or four days," said Muscat.

"It's not great, he's in a fair bit of pain, it's his knee." The coach would not speculate as to whether this could be the end of the road for Thompson. "I am positive. Hopefully we will get a positive result. I don't want to get drawn into hypotheticals. I am always glass half full. Whilst there is some hope we will get some good news I cling on to that. "He came on and he showed why we wanted to keep him in the club, his timing of his run, his awareness of the ball, to gain a penalty." If this is to be the end for Thompson he will depart the A-League stage as its first genuine home-grown star.

He was in his mid 20s when he returned from Belgium to be part of the initial Victory squad, and in the decade since he has stamped himself not just upon the Australian game but also the consciousness of the wider public. If anyone in Melbourne doesn't follow soccer, they know one thing - that Archie Thompson is Melbourne Victory's main man. His stats demand that respect, and he has that, as well as the adulation of the home supporters. He is the A-League's all-time record goal-scorer, with 89 to date, he has won three championships with Victory and also was a member of the 2006 World Cup squad that reached the round of 16 in Germany. Thompson also holds one record that is likely to stand for a very long time, that of being the highest ever scorer in an international match. He notched 13 goals in a 31-0 victory by the Socceroos over American Samoa in a World Cup qualifier in Coffs Harbour in 2001.

He would give all of those back right now if it meant he could play on another season.