Vital statistics
Born: 9 March, 1978, Sydney, Australia
Height: 183 cms
Weight: 77 kgs
Debut: v Saudi Arabia (D0-0),
Riyadh, October 1996
Last Match: v Italy (L1-0),
Kaiserslautern (GER), June 2006

No Australian will ever forget the Socceroos’ four heart-wrenching matches in Germany. As one of the most inexperienced sides in the World Cup, international critics did not expect the Socceroos to reach the knockout stage. Of course, everyone involved in the team had other ideas and worked feverishly to create their own destiny. By seeing off Japan and Croatia to reach the Round of 16, the team made their mark.

Amongst it all was Lucas Neill. Now a household name, it was Lucas’ brilliant performances in defence, as well as in attacking phases that earned him so much attention and heaped praise. Even Tim Cahill is a fan of his teammate. “I was definitely not surprised by the way Lucas performed in the World Cup. It was a big stage, he’s a big player and he stood up to the plate every game. He was by far the best player in our team and I think one of the best defenders in the tournament. Anyone who watched our games could see that.”

With the infamous end to Australia’s match against Italy, Lucas’ passion and competitive drive will be etched in our minds forever. Now Lucas says his attention is well and truly entrenched in winning next year’s Asian Cup, despite the fact that his club commitments in Blackburn prevented him from playing in tonight’s qualifier.

“Any player wants to hold up trophies and the next cup to look forward to is the Asian Cup. We’ll go into it as one of the favourites and what better way to celebrate being part of Asia than to be standing on the podium with the trophy at the end,” says Neill.

With Australia’s move to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the team’s recent performances and their increased attention on the home front, Neill is relishing his time in the green and gold and says it’s a prime time for football to take hold in Australia.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of this team because we have the momentum, great belief and confidence. I think after beating Japan and being considered favourites for the Asian Cup we’ve got to qualify… and then go over there and deliver. It’s a massive tournament. To pick up silverware in a tournament like that would be absolutely phenomenal. The standard will be really high and there’ll be more at stake.

“There’ll be a general improvement in the team because you’ll have to be the best every time you play. That’s the best though, because it’s the way you want to play competitive tournaments. As a nation [because of the Asian Cup], we’ll just become stronger and stronger. It’s the first of many, let’s hope. But for now it’s important to be business as usual and getting the qualification down.”

Lucas, in true ambitious fashion, has set the team’s chances to actually win the Asian Cup high. He believes the World Cup, and the confidence-boosting victory over Japan holds the team in good stead for 2007. He also believes that Australia’s standing means that it should no longer fear any other national side, but continue to approach all opponents seriously, like they did against Brazil.

“More often than not you’ll only worry about a team in the lead-up to the game. Even then, it’s not a case of getting too carried away with the opposition… it’s more a matter of educating yourself to know their strengths and weaknesses and to be aware of certain situations. You’ve got to be sure that your strengths are put to use in the game and find the best way to exploit your opponents. We did it with the biggest teams and we’re not going to change it.”

Another positive thing to emerge from Germany is the team spirit that many Socceroos spoke of. The high morale and happy culture can indeed be credited to the team’s strong showing. Considering our come-from-behind performances against Japan, Croatia and Holland (in the pre-World Cup friendly) the team worked hard together, as well as developing their own strong bonds.

Lucas reckons that the Socceroo spirit is unlike any other he has experienced in a team environment. “Our team was awesome. We all had the same goal in mind which was to do our best for our country so no one was playing for himself. No one cared who got the glory, we were all in it together. No one was bigger than anyone else and as a result it created a family atmosphere. It was very unique.”

While Lucas says the Socceroos side under Guus Hiddink was unique and one he already misses, he is also optimistic about what the next manager will bring. “We had a great ‘father’ in Guus Hiddink who adopted a similar attitude to us in that he had something to prove as well. I miss his style and his wisdom. But it just makes me even hungrier to be involved with teams that are lead by top coaches all the time.

“I think [the next manager] is going to be a manager who’s going to come in with the hunger and desire to want to make a difference. The same way Guus came in, with a massive challenge in front, and he wanted to win. He wanted to make the difference. The next manager will have to want to keep all that good work done. Just keep the momentum going. The squad is there. The attitude is there. There’s definitely strength and depth but it’s also about having discipline in the structure. That’s the biggest thing we need to continue.”

With the international futures of a number of Socceroos still in the balance, including captain Mark Viduka, some have suggested Lucas is the next logical player to wear the arm band. The idea has not gone away, at least until Viduka decides to announce his international playing future. For his part, Lucas does not want to be drawn into the issue.

When asked about whether the captaincy is something he is aiming for he responds: “I’m not going to entertain it because… it’s the greatest honour but I’d like to see Mark stay on and I’d like to see Craig Moore stay on and they’d be the first two picks. So until they actually hang up their boots I won’t worry about it. On the flipside I would jump at the chance to lead my country out. Arm band or no arm band – I’ll show leadership qualities on and off the field.”

While Lucas has plenty of blokes singing his praises for his performances and sportsmanship, his raised profile amongst female fans has not gone unnoticed either. When pressed on his thoughts as one of Australia’s newest sex symbols, Lucas laughs shyly. “It’s not why I play the game! I think I’ve had just as many guys as girls come up and congratulate me and tell me how proud they are to watch the Australian team. It’s that which gives me a great feeling of responsibility and achievement. Myself and the team have touched the hearts of so many people."