MARK Bridge believes his great friend Danny Vukovic will bounce back and says the keeper's likely absence will be extra motivation to succeed in Beijing.
Bridge and Vukovic grew up together in Sydney, went to the same school and played in the same representative teams.
Bridge told the Telegraph: "We used to say when when we were younger that we'd go to the (Under) 20s World Cup together."
"That didn't pan out because I broke my foot. We were saying `the Olympics is next, we'll go to that together. Now this has happened.
"The next logical thing is the 2010 World Cup, if we can both get into that. He'll bounce back, he's one of the best keepers in the country at the moment.
"I think the boys should take it as a motivation, do well for him."
Central Coast Mariners have said they will appeal against FIFA's decision to ban the youngster from the Beijing Olympics.
The club feels FIFA may have overstepped its own boundaries with the ruling.
Bridge told the Telegraph: "We used to say when when we were younger that we'd go to the (Under) 20s World Cup together."
"That didn't pan out because I broke my foot. We were saying `the Olympics is next, we'll go to that together. Now this has happened.
"The next logical thing is the 2010 World Cup, if we can both get into that. He'll bounce back, he's one of the best keepers in the country at the moment.
"I think the boys should take it as a motivation, do well for him."
Central Coast Mariners have said they will appeal against FIFA's decision to ban the youngster from the Beijing Olympics.
The club feels FIFA may have overstepped its own boundaries with the ruling.
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