Now that Socceroo midfielder Mile Jedinak has established himself as a regular at Championship side Crystal Palace, the former Mariner is targeting the Premier League, Brazil 2014 and the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil.

When discussions turn to players who have been A-League success stories, we are often found talking about a certain former Brisbane Roar captain now at Rangers. However, while Matt McKay sits on the fringes of the Rangers team, a former Central Coast Mariners midfielder is playing regularly in the English Championship with Crystal Palace, on the cusp of a Wembley appearance (at the time of writing) and a shot at the Premier League. Mile Jedinak, who has also established himself in the Socceroos squad in recent years (he has nine more caps than McKay), might be the biggest A-League success story ever.

The lofty 27-year-old midfield enforcer, who spent two years in Turkey at Genclerbirligi then Antalyaspor after leaving the Mariners in 2009, seems perfectly suited to the English game. Especially the robust second tier of the Championship. Palace’s last foray into the bright lights of the Premier League was the 2004/05 season, but life at the South London club, especially in the last couple of years, has focused on retaining their Championship status. However, after a stellar start to the season, Palace found themselves in the upper reaches of the Championship and knocked Manchester United out of the Carling Cup at Old Trafford. Despite falling away slightly in the league, they are only a few points shy of a play-off spot, and progressed in the Carling Cup all the way to the semi-finals.

We spoke to Jedinak directly after he provided the assist for the only goal of the game in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Cardiff. Publishing lead times do not allow us to know if the Aussie helped his side complete the job and Wembley awaits at the end of the month, but we sincerely hope so. Here the Sydney-born Socceroo chats cup runs, promotion charges and World Cup qualification for Brazil.

How is life at Palace? How are you enjoying England at the moment?
I’m really, really enjoying it. I cannot give enough praise to everyone at the club and how everything has been going. I’m just enjoying my football at the moment.

You have been working alongside a couple of Aussie coaches too in Tony Popovic and Scott Guyett – how much has it helped having fellow countrymen at the club?
It is good to have some fellow countrymen around you. I have known Poppa [Tony Popovic] for a while, so it is good to have a working relationship with him now. But the whole staff at the club have been brilliant over the past few months since I joined. Then the boys at the club have been really helpful too and made me feel welcome, which is all you can ask for when you move into a new club and new surroundings.

You also enjoyed a run to Wembley in the Carling Cup – how have you been able to step up for the cup run?
As we head into every game, the manager has his plans on how he wants to approach each match and we try to stick with that. We have our coaches there to help us work out the opposition and beat them. We have done this particularly well in the cup this season. The cup run is no fluke – everyone has pulled together for the same goal. We have capable players who are willing to trust themselves and their fellow team-mates. That gives us a good platform to win games and that has been demonstrated in this cup run.  

Palace started the season well and you now find yourselves just outside of the play-off places – what is the aim at Palace this season? What would be a good season?
I am still relatively new to the club and have not experienced the last couple of years where I have been told that it has been quite difficult, and avoiding relegation was an achievement. We are so close to the play-off places now, so I would say personally that we should push for that goal. We are just over half-way through the season and if we are in a similar position come April, we will give it one final push.  

How are you used at Palace? What type of role do you play?
I have become accustomed to playing in that defensive midfield role. That means linking up play and protecting the back four as best I can. Our defensive record is one of the better ones in the Championship, which is testament to the boys and what we are trying to achieve. It is good to have a solid foundation which comes from having a good defence. Sometimes our attacking may not be up to the same level, but if you can keep a clean sheet then you are going to win games. We have experienced players here, who know their roles well. Plus the guys who come in and out of the team, which is important due to how many games we play, also need to know what they should be doing based on what we practice in training.

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Is the Championship where you see yourself playing for the foreseeable future, or does anywhere else in Europe appeal?
Look, I’m enjoying my football here. I do not want to get too far ahead of myself. As a footballer you have ambitions and goals, but at the moment it is just about enjoying my football at Palace. You want to play at the highest possible level and I will work as hard as I can to reach those levels.

They say footballers hit their peak at around 27 – that’s where you are at – would you agree with that statement?
I’m not sure I would be the best judge of that. All I would say is that I’m feeling really comfortable and really enjoying my football. As long as you are doing that then you will be playing your best football. If you can also maintain a good physical level, then that will bring the best out of your football too. At this stage of my career, I am focusing on keeping myself positive, both and off the field, and that is being reflected in the football.

Onto the Socceroos, where since making your 2008 debut you have become a regular in the team. How settled do you feel in a Socceroos jersey now?
Whenever I get the opportunity to play for the Socceroos it is always a great privilege. I have now been around [the squad] for a few years and have got to know the team and the way it functions. I am now very comfortable in that team. I know all the boys, we all get along. But this is not something to rest upon. You still have to put in your performance and every time you step out for the Socceroos you have to perform. Otherwise there are other guys who are more than capable of coming in and doing a job. At this stage I am enjoying my run in the team and hopefully that can continue into the next qualifying phase of the World Cup. Our main focus at the moment is making that next World Cup.

There has been talk that you and Carl Valeri are too similar to play together in the Socceroo midfield – what do you make of that?
Perhaps in some senses we are similar in the way we play. However, I still think that we complement each other really well. Our partnership has worked well in games and we have a very good understanding, which is essential to have in the middle of your team. If your team has a spine which can communicate then everything works better. If people want to say that Carl and I are similar, then fair enough, but we have been able to do a job for the Socceroos. It is about winning games and putting in good performances.

We find ourselves in the second stage of qualification for the World Cup, what are your expectations for clearing that final hurdle to Brazil 2014?
It is no secret it is going to be very difficult. The whole team is aware of that. The first stage of qualification was the so-called easy part and it was by no means easy at all! We are not getting carried away, but we are itching to find out who we will meet in the second stage so we can prepare accordingly. We know how tough it was last time around, including some very tough away games in the Middle East and Asia. These are tough places with some hostile crowds. Hopefully we have that bit more experience this time, so hopefully we can put in the right performances.

Did a few teams catch us by surprise in the first phase?
I was not involved in the first Thailand game, but when they scored first that might have caught us by surprise. However, everyone in the camp was aware it was a game we needed to prepare for – no-one took it lightly. We did get over the line against Thailand in the end. We then went over to Saudi Arabia and showed what we can do. When we played Oman, who we have taken on before, we lost there, but that is football. You cannot win all of them.

How much of a motivation is it to know we have a World Cup in a country like Brazil in 2014 and then an Asian Cup on home soil at the start of 2015?
You would be stupid to say you do not have it on your mind. That said, you have to make sure you do not focus too far ahead. It should be something that spurs you on and it certainly does with me. When you are a part of an international team, you want to be involved in the major tournaments. For us, that’s the World Cup and Asian Cup. They are massive factors and players should be excited by such prospects. I am no different in that respect.

This article appeared in the March 2012 issue of Australian FourFourTwo magazine. To buy back copies of this issue call 03-8317-8121 with a credit card to hand.

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