16: Lucas Neill, Australia, Topps Match Attax Trading Card Game, England Collector Binder

Emlyn Jones takes us to a land down under today with a look at a former Socceroos skipper and the behind the scenes tension that goes with elite international sport. He also brings us possibly one of the greatest examples of Search Engine Optimisation which was something I knew little about until he joined this blog. Now you know who to thank. Over to Emlyn.

You don't have to look for long to find examples of footballers falling out with their teammates. Putting a squad of young men into high-pressure situations, and throwing competition for places into the mix, it's inevitable that some of them will end up at each other's throats. The example that came straight to my mind was Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer having an on-field barney while playing for Newcastle United; Dyer said he didn't pass to Bowyer because “you're shit, basically” and the two tussled before being sent off. We've also written about a few other examples in the past. We're nothing if not shameless about SEO, so:

A training ground Inbetweeners style scuffle between metal enthusiast Olof Mellberg and underpants model Freddie Ljungberg was captured on camera in 2002, and there were rumours the two came to blows again after a game four years later. Samir Nasri failed to stay DENCH and was threatened with being Frimponged after he left Arsenal. David Batty and Graeme Le Saux had their own Dyer/Bowyer moment several years earlier, in which Le Saux swung for Batty in a Champions League tie. And Keith Gillespie has recounted an occasion when some dropped cutlery led to a hospital stay when his scrap with Alan Shearer resulted in him cracking his head open on a flowerpot.

Shearer also managed a bust up with his manager, Ruud Gullit, who described him as “the most overrated player I've ever seen” while leaving him out. He maintains this view, despite the mere 260 Premier League goals. Shearer also managed to fall out with a player while managing; a dressing room bust up with serial newspaper dweller Joey Barton followed the latter's red card against Liverpool.

Other manager/player spats have included Gary Sprake accusing Don Revie of paying off the Leeds United opposition to play poorly in their games, an accusation levied only by Sprake, and Nicolas Anelka's 2010 World Cup ending when he was sent home after calling manager Raymond Domenech a “son of a whore”. Something of an echo to Roy Keane telling Mick McCarthy to “stick your World Cup up your bollocks” before leaving the Ireland camp in 2002.

Sometimes these disagreements can be rapidly quashed, sometimes they will rumble on for years with sniping in the press; however, on occasion, some will be unknown until several years after the event. This was the case when legendary Australian striker and coffee enthusiast Mark Viduka gave a 2020 interview, in which he blasted the man who had been considered to replace him as captain ahead of the 2007 Asian Cup campaign. Completely out of the blue, Viduka slated the 95 times capped defender Lucas Neill, accusing him of being media hungry and resentful.

Neill is well known in the English game; his first professional contract was with Millwall, having played his youth career in Australia, including a spell with the gloriously named Manly United. He became a favourite at the club, staying for close to six years, but left after submitting a transfer request, joining Blackburn Rovers. He again stayed for nearly six years but once more left under a cloud to join West Ham United, also angering the Millwall fans. Spells at Everton and Galatasaray were followed by a couple of years playing in the UAE, four games in Australia, and a brief spell in Japan before returning to England to close out his career at Watford and finally Doncaster Rovers.

Despite having had some controversy in the domestic game, it was his international career that became truly contentious. Neill was a key part of the side between 1996 and 2013, playing in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the 2006 World Cup, and the 2007 Asian Cup. However, at the tail end of his career, Neill's place came under fire, as the ageing defender was retained in the side through qualification games for the 2014 World Cup, despite a lack of game time, and the fact that he featured in two 6-0 losses for the side.

Media commentators Robbie Slater and Mark Bosnich both criticised the player, claiming that he had become too slow in his old age, and should be dropped. Neill responded by criticising the younger players in the squad, saying he still brought a great deal to the team. Neill threatened to “go to ground” should he not be picked, however then coach Ange Postecoglou declined to include him in his squad for the 2014 World Cup. True to his word, Neill did not appear in the media for several years. He was ultimately declared bankrupt in the UK in 2016.

Slater and Bosnich both spoke about their attempts to communicate with Neill, hoping to make amends, however their messages were rebuffed. Coincidentally, Blake and Neill later crossed paths in a Sydney shopping centre. Slater was unable to speak to Neill, however, and stated that Neill had avoided him to the point of hiding in the pasta aisle to maintain his privacy.

The reclusion continued until September 2020, when Neill began working in a role with Football Federation Australia, representing the team in the UK. He's also appeared in public helping out with his son's cricket and football teams, a slightly happier ending for the player after his recent difficulties. His son is currently with the Liverpool youth setup, and he can look back on his career with pride. No more hiding in the pasta aisle, hopefully.