You obviously love the Socceroos Santo, where did it all start?
I grew up going to the football. My father was in football administration. In fact, when I first started watching the Socceroos they were just known as Australia. People talk about the heartbreak of Iran but I’ve been through the heartbreak of Argentina, Israel, Scotland. So when we qualified for the last World Cup with a 0-0 draw it was one of those great moments for me - we’d finally qualified for a World Cup in an anti-climactic way!

First Socceroos game?
In the 1970s they’d have triangular series against touring club sides. I think maybe Glasgow Rangers or Dinamo Zagreb.

Is there one special memory of a match?
I had a totally out of body experience when I saw Italy play Australia at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was the game I’d been dreaming of my entire life. Even though the result was not what I wanted, it was a dream come true. I never thought I’d see in my lifetime Italy play Australia at a World Cup in Europe. It was very, very special.

Current Socceroos favourites?
I love watching Tommy Oar. And I’m unashamed about this, I love watching Mark Schwarzer. People often talk about John Aloisi in the Uruguay penalty shootout, but Schwarzer’s keeping was what made it for me.

Best memory of meeting one of the Roos?
About an hour after the Croatia game where we’d qualified for the last 16 in Germany, Mark Viduka gave me a hug. I was in tears and said, ‘You’ve know idea what’s happening back in Australia, everybody loves you’. And he said, ‘Mate, do you have a DVD of The Late Show? I want to take it back to camp’. He’d just qualified as captain of the Socceroos and all he wanted was a tape of one of our earlier comedy shows. He’s a great man and I do love him.

*‘Santo, Sam and Ed’s Sports Fever’ is on the 7Mate, Monday nights at 8.30pm. Repeated at 11.30pm on the Network 7.

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