Viduka recently snubbed an offer from Premier League outfit Fulham to resurrect his club career after he was released by relegated Newcastle at the end of last season.

The 33-year-old said he was looking for a new start in life and sources have told Sportal that new start is unlikely to involve football, at least in the short term.

His decision would appear to rule him out of playing for Australia in next year's World Cup.

Viduka also has a summer house on the Croatian coast and after a torrid two years battling injury, has decided to call it quits for now and spend time with his wife Ivana and three children. He may choose to return to football in some role in the future, but has no firm plans.

He has been linked with a possible return to Melbourne to play for the new A-League franchise, currently known as the Melbourne Heart, which joins the competition next season, after the World Cup.

It is not the first time Viduka has effectively walked out on the game with his move from Dinamo Zagreb to Celtic in 1998 stalled for two months after the then 23-year-old said he was suffering stress. He eventually crossed to Celtic in February 1999, a move which made him as a player.

He would go on to score 27 goals in his first full season with the Scottish giants before moving the Leeds in 2000. He became a hero at Elland Rd scoring 59 goals in 130 games before spending time at Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.