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FRINGE Socceroo Michael Zullo is baffled by Lucas Neill's comments questioning younger players' "hunger and desire" to represent Australia.
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Backed into a corner after his own poor form in the Socceroos' 6-0 losses to Brazil and France, the ageing Neill this week hit out at calls for him to retire and instead turned the heat on Australia's emerging talent.
"The biggest problem in Australia right now is not the older guys who have been there doing it for a long time," Neill said before the Socceroos' 3-0 midweek win over a woeful Canada in London.
"My question to the younger guys who want to play for Australia is 'Do you dream of playing for Australia?' and if you do show me the hunger and the desire.
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"I think that's where we are lacking now - our attitude towards our national team."
Zullo, who has missed selection in Australia's squads since the June World Cup qualifiers, seemed taken aback by Neill's outburst.
"I don't know what to make of them really," said the 25-year-old left back who has returned to the A-League this year to join Adelaide United on loan from Dutch outfit FC Utrecht.
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"Every time I've been in camp I've really worked hard and shown a passion to wear the Australian jersey.
"I feel like no one gets into a Socceroos camp without showing a lot of desire and passion to get themselves there.
"But Lucas has always been a good captain to me so I can't really fault him on that."
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The former Brisbane Roar star first played for the Socceroos in 2009 and has 10 caps in what has beem a stop-start national team career because of injuries, form and a lack of playing time when he was in the Netherlands.
Provided he overcomes a slight ankle problem, Zullo will Friday night get the chance to play in front of Ange Postecoglou, the man widely tipped to be named as the replacement for sacked Socceroos coach Holger Osieck.
But Zullo insists Socceroos selection and next year's World Cup won't be on his mind when Adelaide hosts the Postecoglou-coached Melbourne Victory at Coopers Stadium.
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"No one knows who's going to become Socceroos coach yet - it's just very important to play well," he said.
"When I first came back it was all about the Socceroos, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've realised that this year should be more about just playing well again and enjoying my football.
"That's got to be the immediate goal. If I do that, then hopefully everything in the future falls into place."
But having been coached by Postecoglou at the Roar, albeit before the current Victory boss led Brisbane to back-to-back A-League titles, Zullo was confident his old coach could turn the Socceroos' fortunes around if appointed.
"It was a pretty similar situation when Ange came into the Roar. He was briefed with bringing in a complete culture change and a complete regeneration of the squad and he did that extremely successfully," said Zullo, who was sold against Postecoglou's wishes at the end of the 2009-10 A-League season by the then Brisbane board to Utrecht along with Tommy Oar and Adam Sarota.
"He created the most successful team in Australian history. I found him pretty good to work under at the Roar."
Zullo said he also "owed" Postecoglou for switching him to left fullback from his previous left midfield-wing position.
"I never played a game at left back until Ange came to the Roar.
"I guess I owe him for that because that became the future of my career. That was a massive step I took."
IT'S here! Episode one of the Fox Football Podcast, featuring Adam Peacock, Tom Smithies, Simon Hill and Daniel Garb.
Plenty to discuss to kick us off, as the boys run the rule over the Socceroos' mess and this week's A-League.
With the next coach looking like being an Aussie, Tom reveals that Osieck's $1.5m salary would not be anywhere near enough to command a high caliber coach abroad.
You can check it out here at the iTunes store, subscribe, and share your rating! Enjoy.
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