WORLD CUP qualification hero John Aloisi has won the battle of the former Socceroos to succeed John van 't Schip as coach of A-League club Melbourne Heart.

Despite widespread interest within Australia and beyond in the vacancy, which arose following van 't Schip's resignation after two seasons (and subsequent signing with Mexican giant Guadalajara), Heart's hierarchy narrowed the field to two of its own: youth team coach Aloisi and assistant coach Ante Milicic.

John Aloisi is the only Australian to have played in the Premier League, Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A. Credit:Getty Images

Both men have been with Heart for its two seasons in the A-League, with Aloisi initially joining as a player before moving to the coaching staff at the end of 2010-11.

The 36-year-old, who is widely known for converting the penalty kick that earned Australia a 2006 World Cup berth ahead of Uruguay, has been given a three-year contract to coach Heart. The now-retired striker also had stints in the top-level leagues in England, Italy and Spain, and also was part of Sydney FC's grand final-winning team in 2009-10.