Source: FOOTYMAD
Why Didn't Viduka Give Us 100%?
Mark Viduka retired after he left Newcastle United at the of the relegation 2008/09 season, and he looks back on his career. But ... why did he fail to give us his best? Mark Viduka: "Leeds had sent [assistant] Eddie Gray to watch me at Celtic. "They showed interest and told me they wanted me to come over and play. It was a difficult decision but when I looked at Leeds, they were on the rise. "They had just qualified for the Champions League and it was a good chance. "We turned Leeds into an Aussie club! We had Jacob Burns, Paul Okon, Danny Milosevic (and of course Harry Kewell) - there was a bit of a contingent going. I think a lot of Aussies began to follow Leeds because of us. "All the players were young and there was a really good atmosphere. We worked really hard for each other and everyone stuck together. "We were struggling and heading towards relegation. I personally think the sacking of David O'Leary in 2002 was a big thing for us. "Up until then, we finished fourth or fifth and then all of a sudden we turned up to training and we didn't have a manager. It ended up being Terry Venables. When he came, he probably didn't know about the club's financial situation either. "I had other offers at the time, but no one was as keen as Middlesbrough. It was a good guaranteed move because I didn't have to move from my house! It was a safe move for my family because they were in a familiar environment. "I enjoyed it. The personnel around the training centre and the people at the club made it good. Being a part of the club was nice thanks to the fans and the people involved. "I was really excited about the prospect of signing for Newcastle. I played against them a few times with Alan Shearer, and I was a big admirer of Alan. I was also a big fan of the club. "I signed a two-year deal at Newcastle in 2007 and I thought: 'I'm going to do my best here'. I was getting older. Things started to affect me, niggles and injuries, but in the end I was disappointed I couldn't play more games for them."
