Australian · Melbourne, Australia · Born 9 October 1975Australian striker who captained the national team at the 2006 World Cup and became one of the most successful Australian footballers in European leagues.
Mark Viduka scored a hat-trick for Celtic in a 6-2 demolition of Rangers on New Year's Day 2000, a result still cited by Celtic supporters as one of the most complete individual performances in the fixture's long history -- delivered by an Australian striker of Croatian descent who'd arrived in Scottish football only that same year. His path there ran through the Australian Institute of Sport and Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb before Celtic came calling, and the goal-scoring form he showed in Scotland (two league titles in his two seasons there) made him one of the more sought-after strikers in Europe by the early 2000s, eventually taking him to Leeds United's Champions League semi-final squad. Viduka's career straddled two footballing worlds that rarely produce the same kind of star -- Australian football's development pathway and the physical demands of the Scottish and English top flights -- and he remains one of the earliest examples of an Australian forward reaching the genuine upper tier of European club football rather than a supporting role within it.
Leading Australia's attack at their first World Cup in 32 years (2006)
He scored four goals in one match for Leeds against Liverpool in 2000 in one of the most individually brilliant performances by a striker in Premier League history.
Did You Know?How They Played
Tall, physical striker with excellent hold-up play, clinical finishing and strong aerial ability
Lasting Impact
Australia's most successful striker of his generation who paved the way for Australian players in top European leagues
Career Honours
- Scottish Premier League 1998, 2000 (Celtic)
- Scottish Premier League 1998
- Scottish Premier League 2000
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Knights | 1993–1995 | £6m | — | 27 | #9 |
| Croatia Melbourne | 1995–1998 | £6m | 102 | 22 | #9 |
| Leeds United | 2000–2004 | £6m | 88 | 18 | #9 |
| Celtic | 1998–2000 | £6m | 72 | 12 | #9 |
| Middlesbrough | 2004–2007 | — | 87 | 24 | — |
| Newcastle United | 2007–2009 | — | 28 | 7 | — |
 Australia | — | — | 43 | 11 | — |
Australian Athletes