teams with some experienced players that I’ve learnt a lot from along the way. And coaches too, especially someone like Guus Hiddink, who has inspired me to want to take a leadership role. Most important is my family, the upbringing from my family.

As for Pim Verbeek, do you think he doesn’t get the respect he deserves as the coach. A win away to Uzbekistan by Hiddink would’ve been hailed as a master stroke… Is he flying under the radar in terms of respect?
Well, he’s certainly not flying under the radar within the team. We think he’s been absolutely fantastic. How he’s portrayed outside the team in the media or in public, it’s not really what we’re in it for. We all know how good he is – I’ve already gone on record to say what a good man manager he is. His preparation before games is second to none, the way he tactically advises you and prepares you for each game. I think he has been almost flawless in this second round of qualifying so far. He’s backed his own judgement and everything he’s asked us to do we’ve executed and ended up with two wins in our group.

And he got a sense of the Australian mentality quickly too, which helps.....
He has and it was something Guus did well too. What Hiddink found out early on was what big hearts we have and that he could push us and push us and push us and we still wouldn’t give up. We would just continue to work harder and go stronger. Pim has inherited that and has recognised that in us early. And he’s just tweaking a few things here and there and making sure that we’re not just playing with our hearts but with our heads as well.

Going onto the Premier League, it’s been a tough start to the season for the Hammers off the pitch but satisfying on it. Is that strange when you’re called a club in crisis when your in sixth?
Not just sixth position but with two games that I’d call blips, two games that we were expected to win and should have won. We’ve got a new manager in Gianfranco Zola and we’re working very well with him. His experience and passion for the game is brilliant and training has been a really fun environment. There’s a real feeling of determination and a will to succeed this season because last season we were fairly average. This year, everything that happens off the field is not the player’s concern. Unfortunately it’s the board and the fans that hurt in that respect but the players have the escape of just being able to go out and play football. With everything going on around you, it’s great to be able to just go out and kick the ball. The training ground is where you work and where you can switch off to everything else.

What’s been the key to your success so far this season?
I think it’s a confidence thing. We’ve worked in training and have been putting that into games in playing a certain style of football and it suits a lot of players we have in the squad. The majority of our players are fit now and you can see that they’re playing with a little bit of confidence about them. We’re going to come unstuck every now and again because we’re going to make mistakes but overall I think we’re coming together as a team at the moment. And I’m sure over the course of the season, we’re only going to play better football.

Now you have Gianfranco Zola as your coach. What has he bought the team?
The way he was as a player, he’s the same as a manager. He’s so passionate about the game and enthusiastic. He loves an attractive style of football and is determined to become a good manager in the Premier League. His drive then has an effect on the team and makes us want to become better players. He wants to emulate the success he had as a player as a manager.

How good is the team that you have at the moment. Are you aiming for a Champions League spot or is that beyond you?
It’s a hard ask. I think we have to make baby steps first and aim to get into the top seven. That was the target that was set last year but with key players getting injured that hurt our campaign, but this year I truly believe that it is reachable. All the other teams in the league have targets for success as well so it’s about finding consistency and getting the results.

Hammers fans can be hard to please at times. How have they taken to an Australian as club captain?
I think I have a good rapport with the fans, more often than not. Last season, like me, they were frustrated and it wasn’t my best season ever form wise and I’ve still got a few people to please there. I’m determined to put that right this year and be a leader of a team that wins a lot more games than it loses. And somewhere along the line I hope we can be successful.

You’re nearing the end of your contract and have said that you want to stay in East London. Do you feel there’s more work to be done?
I’m on the last year of my contract and I’ve expressed an interest in staying as long as possible. There has certainly been some positive feedback from the board side of things. However, no-ones holding anyone to ransom and I’m not being pushed into a corner. Over time it’s going to sort itself out. For now all I have to worry about is playing football.

You’ve said that you would like to play in the A-League before you finish playing but you’re also said to be involved in a bid for an A-League team. Do you see yourself as a bit of an Abramovich then?
[laughs] Nah, not really. I’ve always wanted to give something back to Australian football and I do a little bit of work with my local Manly team with my Lucas Neill scholarship. On a bigger scale I’m trying to look into the possibility of being involved in an A-League franchise. It’s early days at the moment but I like the idea of it and I certainly think I’ve got something to offer as far as running a club. It’s something I’ll definitely not say no to, I’ve got a lot of passion for the game and I need to find something to do when I have finished playing the game.

There’s talk of other players coming home a little sooner than expected. Has the age an Aussie footballer returns home shrunk a little with the quality of the game improving so much over here?
The A-League is going really well and when you look at what Adelaide have achieve in Asia’s premier tournament, it’s really exciting. The reason people go away is to try and carve out a career for themselves, make good money and win honours with their club side. Now if you can do that in Australia and enjoy a fantastic lifestyle, why would you want to leave? Australians enjoy a great lifestyle and as a footballer if you can earn a good living, win things and get the excitement of going into the Asian Champions League, then a lot of guys are questioning why they wouldn’t want to come back. Certainly for me, heading towards the end of my career, I definitely want to come back to the A-League and experience it.

Finally talk to us a little about your foundation. It’s obviously something that means a lot to you to give something back to the game and Australian footballers in general.
Hopefully my scholarships can open some doors and every year, I’ll try and take one or two kids over to England and get them training with various Premier League teams for three weeks. Just to open their eyes and show them how hard a level it is to reach. Maybe highlight what they need to do to make themselves good enough to play at the top level in England. It’s not about them going over on trial and landing a contract – if that happens, it happens – but it’s more about them coming back and telling their teammates how amazing it was. And of course in the lead up to finding the winners of the scholarship, it’s giving kids something to aim for at the end of the season.

Do more players need to be doing things like this to develop youth football further in this country?
I think everybody’s different. Some people want to do it and have a passion, others are shy and just want to live the quiet life. I respect both sides but for me I realise I’m in a position of leverage and I have a lot to give. I want to give back and help build a legacy and help Australian football nurture young talent for years to come.