Skoko's time with North Geelong Warriors from nine up until age15 inspired a glittering European playing career that garnered silverware with Hajduk Split, a league title with Genk and stints with Wigan and Stoke.

With two new teams set to join the A-League in the 2018/19 season, Skoko believes the passion for football and its proximity to Melbourne, make Geelong a prime choice for the A-League.

“It’s basically a suburb of Melbourne,” the 41-year-old said. “It’s probably the distance western Sydney is to Sydney CBD. The proximity to Melbourne is a huge advantage - also in terms of the passion people have got for (football) down here.

“We have shown that over the years, Geelong is a place where they live and breathe their football.

"In 1992 we won the Victorian Premier League. There are four or five internationals from here. It’s definitely got the history for it and that’s a big part of it.

"If we didn’t have any experience in the game then you could ask questions, but we have that. There are people who would come to games and support the game down here.”

Former Socceroo Steve Horvat is also a youth product of Geelong, and Skoko who wore the Green and Gold 51 times said current and former players would be happy to provide support for an expansion team.

“Socceroos or ex Socceroos can help,” he said. “That’s a great way to go. They can add their football experiences to the club and their advice and of course lift the profile of the club. Of course, you’re going to help as much as you can, especially if it’s for your local team.”

“There is enough drive and passion in the community for a team in Geelong. You can have all the passion and drive, but if you don’t have someone suitable underpinning the whole structure then it is going to fail. For example, Melbourne City have a backer now and they’re going to be stable whether they get 5,000 or 50,000 at their games. With that stability comes an upgrade in facilities and everything. If you get the underpinning right, everything else can grow.”

Looking back on his time in Geelong’s youth system Skoko says the environment was the stepping stone to a being a professional footballer.

“It was a combination of things,” he said. “It was the Croatian background and the passion that was instilled in me.

"My parents, my friends the whole community was into it and that drove us further as kids. Whether it was a grass pitch, jumping on a trampoline and saving balls, that was something that contributed to me getting better - which I think kids struggle with a bit these days.”