For such an incredibly difficult job the first decision is straightforward; Mark Schwarzer starts in goal. If I’m allowed a bench then Mark Bosnich is on it just in case, but you can’t go past Australia’s most-capped international, someone involved in so many iconic moments.

In defence I’ve got a back four of Lucas Neill, Joe Marston, Craig Moore and Stan Lazaridis. Joe was before my time but he was the original pioneer of Australian football, going overseas and playing in the 1954 FA Cup final for Preston.

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The other three excelled when the Socceroos were flying, great leaders, all enjoying long club careers at the highest level. I realised later that I hadn’t found room for Paul Okon and almost shuffled things around to include him as a centre-half, but he has to miss out this time I’m afraid.

My midfield three has Craig Johnston and Tim Cahill either side of Ned Zelic. Tim picks himself, obviously. Australia’s record goalscorer, he has an amazing ability to score great and crucial goals.

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In a 4-3-3 you need a player like Ned who can control the game in front of the back four. It’s a shame he didn’t feature more often in green and gold but his class would shine through in a team like this.

Craig might seem a controversial choice considering he didn’t play for the Socceroos, but he remains a proud Australian. He beat a path for everyone that came after him in the modern era, achieving more than any one on the world stage playing for Liverpool when they were the best team in Europe.



I want to honour that. I think he deserves to be recognised and I think it would be a disaster if Craig wasn’t in this team. It was tough leaving out Johnny Warren – he did so much for the game – as well as Mark Bresciano, who was such a quiet achiever and a terrific role model and mentor.

Up front we’ve got goals and creativity with Ray Baartz, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell. Ray was a great target man in the 1960s and 70s and should now be a superstar but he was badly injured against Uruguay shortly before the 1974 World Cup and his career was cut short.

I would have loved to include goal machine Attila Abonyi but you can’t leave out Kewell or Viduka, can you? They’ve both shown they can be world class on different stages at the highest level and it wouldn’t be a Socceroos XI without them.

We have such a rich history to pick from it’s inevitable an all-time lineup is going to lead to disagreement, but I hope nobody’s too upset with my choices. I’m confident this team could mix it with anybody in the world.