Waiting in the exclusive club lounge at the summit of Melbourne's swanky Park Hyatt Hotel, it is the perfect setting to meet the man who has led the Socceroos to new heights.

Arriving on-time, relaxed and keen to remember everyone's name from the start, Lucas Neill has the effortless air of someone able to take everything in his stride.

Our Melbourne photographer, by his own admission not necessarily someone inclined to sport of the round ball variety, emailed us in the wake of the shoot to gush: "What a legend!" He wasn't referring to meeting this FFT journo we begrudgingly admit, instead expressing what a joy it was to work with the enthusiastic and animated Socceroos captain.

We met two versions of Lucas that day. First, the banter-seeking boy from Sydney's Northern Beaches, someone without a care in the world. Then we met the focused, businesslike leader of club and country once FFT's voice recorder was switched on.

The last 12 months have been the most complete of Neill's career. He regained some of his best club form as he captained EPL outfit West Ham to ninth in the league. For the Socceroos he has been incandescent. So much so, we have started to take Neill's vital Socceroos performances for granted.

With seven clean sheets in a row and four goals conceded all qualifying campaign, it was the defence that formed the base for World Cup qualification. Neill rarely put a foot wrong.

It all sounds great on paper, but ill-informed media outlets and the ever-expectant public have chastised Neill's Australia for their pragmatic approach to sealing qualification. The Socceroos qualified, but without the gusto many Australians desire from their sport.

Contented from World Cup qualification, FFT holds court with a reflective Neill who is ready to hit back at the critics, discuss spiralling Socceroos expectations, club life in the EPL and why he would want to avoid England at the World Cup.

World Cup qualification has been secured. Has it sunk in yet?
It still hasn't really. When we know who the 32 teams that have qualified are, that's when you get excited. When we get close to the finals draw in December, then it will really sink in that we're going to the World Cup and what we have to do when we get there.

We qualified through Asia this time. It was a longer slog but what else felt different?
Just the challenges we had to face throughout qualification. The strength we had to show through mind and body. The lack of lead time and preparation, plus the really long flights back to Australia. But the team focus was unbelievable from the first day Pim [Verbeek] came in. We were all focused on reaching the World Cup from day one and every time we came into camp we knew "business starts here".

The platform for qualification seemed to be the tight defence...
Yeah, that was based around organisation and good preparation on the training ground. We had good combinations at the back and I felt comfortable every time I played with either Craig Moore or Chris Coyne. Every time a back four was put in, we stepped up and played well. We also made very few mistakes, which always helps, but there were no bad touches, howlers or mistimed tackles.

How important was the return of Craig Moore?
It was massive. He has an abundance of experience and is a great influence on the younger players in the squad. For me it was like playing with my brother because you know exactly what you are going to get from him. He reads me and I read him. It is a very easy, comfortable partnership. It is great to have him by my side, but also to have him around to help influence others.

Was there a defining moment of the campaign for you?
The win away at Bahrain, as we played below par and still won. In previous years we might have lost or thrown away that game, but this team is more resilient. We were desperate to hold on to the 0-0, but we managed to punish a last minute mistake and score. We managed to play below par and still win, which gives us every chance of going a long way.

Against Qatar you picked up a "tactical yellow card" so you wouldn't be ruled out of any World Cup finals games next year...
That was me trying to have a bit of fun, but people looked at the serious side. That was all blown a little bit out of proportion. If I wanted to get a yellow card I would have kicked the ball away or shown dissent to the referee. Mine was more the last minute of the game and I knew we had a chance to hold on to the 0-0, I tried to nick the ball and the player stood in front of me and it turned into a very strong yellow. I would never risk doing anything that malicious deliberately. I tried to make a joke about it having just qualified for the World Cup.

Despite the convincing campaign, there still seemed to be some criticisms from some areas...
We've become victims of our own success. We've raised the level that high and the objectives have become clear so early - we are here and we are here to win. After getting off to a good start, a lot of people thought it was going to be like that all the time. The public were led into a mind-set that not only do you have to win, but you have to do it with style and flair. But if you ask anyone in the world it's not about enjoying the game, it's about winning and results. Any country would have loved the chance to have three games left and have qualified for the biggest tournament in the world. We lost sight of that. What we also got confused with, or disappointed and frustrated with, was the fact the last time we qualified it was in such emotional circumstances. This time it seemed to happen without any adrenalin, which is sometimes what we're all after.

The World Cup finals draw in December - any thoughts on who you would like to meet? Revenge over Italy? New Zealand!?
I'd love to take on New Zealand. It's a game we should win and there is a good rivalry there. All 32 teams at the finals are going to be good and are there on merit. We are not going to be the surprise package we were in the last World Cup - teams are going to know us, they will have done their homework on us and show us a lot more respect than they did last time. We are going to go in there and raise our level of performance even more. We need to make sure we're ready for whatever is throw at us.

Anyone you'd like to avoid?
Probably to get through the group you would like to avoid the biggest teams in the world. The power teams like Argentina and Brazil, possibly Germany. Italy would be sensationalised in the media because of what happened last time, but it wouldn't scare me to play them again. Especially early in the tournament where they are famous for not starting like a house on fire. The team I'd most like to avoid is England. It's a game that would have so much off-the-field rivalry and banter, but on-the-field the players will know if they lose that they could find themselves out of the tournament.

What is a realistic aim for what Australia can achieve at the World Cup next year?
Just to get through the group. Again I don't think people realise how hard that is. There are so many big teams that don't even make it to the World Cup. Fingers crossed we're not in the "Group of Death" that happens every tournament so we can target three or potentially six points to go to the second round. From there, like last time, anything is possible.

From a personal level, what would you like to achieve in what is likely to be your last World Cup?
I'll play this one like it's my first and last. To get to the last 16 would be another fantastic achievement. Everything else from there would be achieving dreams you never expected.

It's under a year until the World Cup kicks off. What's the plan for you before then?
Get off to a good start with my club side and make sure I stay fit for the World Cup. The last World Cup I'd just come off the back of a very good season at Blackburn. Next season I want to play a lot of games and have a lot of football under my belt to make sure I feel good so that I'm ready mentally and physically.

On to club life at West Ham last season. Things were looking troubled at the beginning of the season, with a near bankrupt owner, a new inexperienced coach and a huge injury list. But it turned into a decent season...
Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke took about a month to really get their message across. When they arrived we were playing some really good football, but making mistakes that were losing us games and points. That was masking the fact we were playing good football at the time too. Once we'd eliminated those mistakes we started going on a bit of a run where the football was the same, but we were getting results. Add to that the feeling we had in the dressing room, which was like the feeling we have with the Socceroos, where everyone was really focused. They were a down-to-earth set of guys at West Ham, there was a great team spirit and that showed on the pitch too. The only sour point of the season was that we ran out of players once again. We were playing great football, then getting to the final third and not being able to capitalise on the possession we'd had. Every club could say it but if only we could have grabbed those extra three or four points where we had lost silly points, then we would have ended up qualifying for Europe.

What were the main changes you saw under Zola and Clarke?
They were fantastic. They bought a freshness and a new attitude for everybody. The training became quicker, sharper and more competitive. That impact was immediate. Zola also has so much charisma and passion for the game that you feel it from him. He gives off a good vibe. Steve Clarke is an extremely talented coach. Everyday you go into training, it's different. That means you always wanted to go into work as you knew you were going to be challenged during that time.

Have you been keeping much an eye on the A-League over here too?
I've got friends playing in the league obviously and I always keep up-to-date with who has scored after the weekend. It's on the cable channels in England too, so you get the highlights package every week and you can see the boys playing in the sunshine when you're sitting in the cold in England. I also have an interest in an A-League club [the potential Western Sydney franchise], so I like to keep an eye on the competition so that I can assess who is doing well and how they're pulling the crowds in for their games. You could say there's a little bit of homework done there too.

How's the Western Sydney franchise going then?
We're just trying to raise the last bit of money that will satisfy the criteria. We feel we can lodge a very successful, competitive bid. We feel it will happen not only because of the blueprint that we have, but the passion that I share for the game. We want to leave a legacy with the bid and have one of the most successful teams in Australia.

You're still only 31, but what about that return to the A-League for you as a player one day?
The dream is to come back and play for the club I am part of. I want to give something back, I've always said that. I don't want to come back when I'm finished and everyone is running rings round this old guy. I want to come back with a bit left in the locker and finish where it all started.

Lucas Neill is wearing Nike Sportswear including AW77 and Air Max 1. Go to www.nike.com.au for further information.