''As much as I love being home, I still think there is plenty of opportunity out there. While there is definitely plenty of opportunity here, if Europe was to come calling again, 100 per cent, you'd go.'' Neill, who starred in the English Premier League before his stints in Turkey (Galatasaray) and the Middle East (Al Jazira and Al Wasl), said one requirement would dictate any decision he might make in the critical build-up to what he hoped would be his third World Cup crusade. ''I would always have liked to have tried [Italy or Spain] but I genuinely believe I stayed in England for too long and I've taken too many turns which means I might not have that opportunity,'' he said. ''But would I go to a league I've not tried yet? Yeah, if I was a piece of the puzzle that fit. Otherwise I'll stick with what I know because next year is an extremely important one. ''Whether that be Australia, Europe, the Middle East … in saying all that I don't want to look too far ahead because I want the focus to be on the next four Socceroos [World Cup qualifying] games and my immediate future at Sydney FC.''

Neill, who made his A-League debut in last Sunday's 3-1 loss to Melbourne Heart, made it clear he felt at home in Sydney and that the A-League offered him some great challenges. ''The level of the game was a challenge,'' he said of his first hit-out. ''I think the league has more to offer, and I have more to offer it. ''I wasn't surprised by the standard, I know the mentality of Australians. It was a different version of the Socceroos; everybody is motivated, everybody works for it, everyone was up for it … they're all the things everyone takes for granted. ''I think the only surprise is how far Sydney FC can go.

''It's a big club, the expectation is to not only win but to win trophies. You need a strong mentality and I immediately realised you need to accept if you're not pulling your weight and not motivated you won't be there for too long. ''That comes through being one of the biggest clubs and through being one of the most successful clubs.'' Neill, who came in for extra attention in his debut when he ran out against the Heart, the club which thought it had snared him, said he was used to being scrutinised. ''I'm always under the spotlight because I'm captain of the national team and I played 15 years in Europe, so I've been prepared for it even though it was a short lead time coming here,'' he said. ''I'm prepared that every move I make will be monitored and I'm happy to meet that head on.

''You just have to give your maximum.'' Neill also hosed down the suggestion Socceroos coach Holger Osieck singled him out for an ultimatum about his playing some ''meaningful'' soccer if he expected to remain in the squad. ''His demand [to me] was the same as anybody in the national team - they need to be playing and playing well,'' he said. ''I knew I could stay and play with Al Wasl, but what was I playing for? I don't want to say I would've been going through the motions, but we were going to play games where the results did not have any impact on the outcome of the season. ''When I spoke to him [about relocating from the UAE] Holger said that I should make sure it was good football, good intensity and would take me as close as possible to the [Socceroos] games [in May-June].'' LUCAS NEILL IN HIS OWN WORDS...

AUSTRALIA'S WORLD CUP JOURNEY The next game against Oman is the defining moment of our campaign. We go into that match knowing victory would put one foot into Brazil. It's like Australia versus Uruguay two campaigns ago. There's a lot riding on the game and the public to realise it's importance and be 100 per cent behind us. It's going to, possibly, be a frustrating night because Oman are a difficult and annoying team to play and they'll try to stifle our play. It'll take patience, but so long as we go into that game with a good attitude and a vocal crowd behind us I'm confident we'll be successful. HOLGER OSIECK He's a very honest man. I think he's from a school that's honest but demanding. He knows what he wants and you know exactly where you are with him. Like him, we're all under pressure to achieve and Holger goes about it the best way he can and he handles it well. He's a great person to talk football with because Holger has been all around the world through football; a World Cup winner with West Germany as [a] coach; he's worked for FIFA; he's worked in Canada, Europe, Turkey and now Australia. I respect he's equipped himself with the tools, that he's backed himself to take challenges and so far, he's done a great job for Australia. DAVID GALLOP

I respected him when he was the chief executive of the NRL, and nothing has changed. I know his heart is in football, that he's determined and he has a game plan. The game is being steered by a very good operator. DEL PIERO'S IMPACT ON SYDNEY FC It is a privilege to play alongside him but he's only one man out of 11 and we, the other 10, must provide him with the platform to showcase his magic. We can't rely upon him to win every game for us, we need to work it so he can grace us with his beauty. As far as Alessandro Del Piero's impact on the A-League it's, without doubt, the most significant in the competition's history. The fact he's signed for another year is great because we can build on what he's done and encourage more [quality players] to come. IN THE GRANDSTAND It's hard to accept that after 12 or 14 very competitive games towards the World Cup two yellow cards is preventing me from playing against Oman. I think the first [yellow card] was in our opening game and while missing a game at the crunch end of the qualifying rounds is frustrating, I have to accept it.

AUSTRALIA'S GENERATION NEXT We're seeing potential stars but there's not many playing in the so-called ''big'' leagues. I think what's more important than having players in the English Premier League or Serie A is having a [national] team of players who are playing regularly and well, whether it's in Belgium, France, Austria, Holland , the Middle East or Australia. Yes, we all want to play in the Premier League, but players need to realise a billion players dream of playing in the English Premier League but ultimately only 300 do. That's where you need a plan B. Four years ago we had 10 players in the EPL, now we have one or two because opinions of EPL managers change. THE WANDERERS They've given Sydney's western suburbs a football identity, an emblem. We're talking about a group of people who can call a team at the elite level their own. Given the amount of research we put into our bid for a team in western Sydney a few years ago I knew it was always going to be a successful franchise if it was in the right hands. Everyone knows it's fertile ground for football. Tony Popovic has gone about his business well to make it a success but just as importantly its supporters create a tremendous atmosphere and I hope it's infectious and inspires other clubs to encourage their supporters to become that bit more vocal to create a healthy grandstand banter. FRANK FARINA

I've respected Frank for a long time. I was blessed to be able to choose between clubs who had good coaches. Being with Frank takes me back to when I was a Socceroo. He's a very honest but firm manager and that's great because you know exactly where you stand.