Lazaridis was part of a stunning 3-1 friendly victory over David Beckham’s England at Upton Park seven years ago.

The West Australian-born winger, who retired from the national team in 2006, recalls how the English had talked about not taking their opponents too seriously. 

But with then Leeds striker Harry Kewell leading the attack and scoring a superb first half goal, and Lucas Neill, Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka amongst a bevy of other stars named, the fired up Aussies had a point to prove.

“They probably didn’t realise how good we were. They thought it’d be a stroll in the park for them,” Lazaridis told au.fourfourtwo.com after he was inducted in the FFA Hall of Fame this week. 

“ I remember we put this on the board and Harry goes, ‘Right boys, they don’t think we’re going to turn up. Let’s show ‘em’.But by gee did we turn up. Harry was unbelievable that night.

"It could’ve been four or five by half-time. [England coach] Sven Goran Eriksson used his younger players in the second half to try smother us but we had them on toast.

”It gives you that extra 10 percent motivation.”

It’s this type of mentality Lazaridis feels will be used by the Socceroos in Qatar next month as the nation continues to digest the 2022 World Cup bid loss to the ambitious Middle East nation.

Socceroo skipper Lucas Neill alluded to this fact as being extra motivation for Qatar in January in an interview immediately after the vote and Lazaridis agrees it will be a powerful motivational tool.

 “I think there’ll be that drive even more from the boys. I know a lot of those guys and I think Lucas Neill said it in an interview," said Lazaridis.

“It’s almost like, ‘C’mon, we’ll show you’. We needed it here more than they did. And we’re still coming to terms with how they won it. But also congratulations must go to Qatar.

"But from our point of view we’ll be fiery and pumped up. Nothing will be left on the park with Harry, Timmy and Lucas and all those boys.

“They’ve got enough motivation but this is like that extra bit of motivation. That little bit of salt in the wounds."

Another ex-Socceroo, Alex Tobin, suggested Socceroo coach Holger Osieck will be subtle in the way he uses this as motivation.

“Any coach will use any little edge possible and I’m sure Holger is well experienced in that regard," said Tobin.

"So as a positive, I certainly don’t think it [the bid decision] will be detrimental to their performance. It will possibly give them a bit of a lift.

"It depends on the player but it can make a difference and hopefully that will give us a more competitive Asian Cup performance.”

For his part, Socceroo coach Holger Osieck wasn’t buying into the extra motivation angle and made a distinction between the bid and the Cup in Qatar.

“The tournament has nothing to do with the bid,” Osieck told au.fourfourtwo.com.

He added the bid was a successful one and was looking to take a positive spin on the whole saga.

“Despite the disappointment we should now channel our energy in domestic football and the development of young players and the strengthening the Socceroos," he said.

Osieck has submitted a list of 50 names to the AFC and Osieck is now waiting see how certain injured players on the list are recuperating.

He added: “Our key players look okay so touch wood I hope it’s going to stay this way and I’m pretty confident we’ll get them released from their clubs so we have a strong team in Qatar.”