Aussie legends: The greatest Australian soccer players of all time

Despite not having the biggest soccer tradition in the world, Australia still managed to produce some fantastic players who have gone on to excel in the most competitive leagues in the world. These are the best Australian soccer players of all time.

Without a doubt, one of the all-time best Australian attackers, Mark Viduka built an impressive Premier League career for himself at Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, while also having played for Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb.

Considered the best Australian soccer player of all-time by many, left-footed Harry Kewell played for top European sides such as Liverpool and Galatasaray. Moreover, he represented the Socceroos on 56 occasions, including on several big international tournaments.

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Known for his epic 'boxer celebration', Tim Cahill played for Everton and New York RB, amongst other clubs. The 108 time international scored 50 goals for his country, including a screamer against the Netherlands in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Nothing short of monumental!

Cahill is second in the all-time ranking of Socceroos appearances, only preceded by Mark Schwarzer. The legendary goalkeeper established himself in Germany and England, including a long and successful spell at Middlesbrough.

The Premier League seems to be the favourite soccer destination for Australians, with also Lucas Neill having earned his stripes there. The no-nonsense defender played for Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Everton and Watford, with spells in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Japan in between.

With 77 appearances for the Socceroos, Tony Vidmar is certainly down in Australian soccer history. The defender with Italian roots passed through Belgium, the Netherlands, Scotland and England, before retiring in 2008 at the Central Coast Mariners.

An excellent player in his prime, Brett Emerton started his pro career at the semi-pro Sydney Olympic FC. There he sparked interest from Dutch top side Feyenoord, which paid 1.8 million euros to bring the Australian to Europe. Emerton's longest spell came at Blackburn, with 294 appearances for the English.

A stylish midfielder in his time, Mark Bresciano earned 84 caps for Australia. Bresciano also holds an Italian passport, which might explain why he played in Italy for a big part of his career, defending the likes of Empoli, AC Parma, US Palermo and Lazio Roma.

Captaining the Socceroos for many years, Mile Jedinak is generally considered one of the best Australian soccer players ever. The defensive midfielder scored 20 goals for his country, two of which were in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The second goalkeeper in this list, Mark Bosnich played for Manchester United and Chelsea, before heading back to his native Australia. Bosnich only made 22 appearances for the Socceroos, which would have been a lot more if it were not for Mark Schwarzer.

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A real leader, Johnny Warren was nicknamed 'Captain Socceroo' for his endless commitment to Australian soccer. Warren was a central midfielder, and played at the 1974 FIFA World Cup with Australia, ending fourth and last in a group with West and East Germany and Chile.

John Aloisi started his career at Adelaide United, before embarking on a career in Europe that brought him to Belgium, Italy, England and Spain. With 27 goals for the Socceroos, Aloise was one of the more prolific strikers in Australian soccer history.

Paul Okon is one of the best Australian defenders ever, having played for Club Brugge, Lazio Roma, ACF Fiorentina, and Leeds United, amongst other clubs. In 1995, he won the Belgian Golden Shoe, a trophy for that year's best player in Belgium.

Starting his professional career in 1998, Luke Wilkshire signed for Middlesbrough at 17 years old. Later on, he played for Bristol City, Twente FC and Dinamo Moscow, before going to Feyenoord. In the 2017-18 season, he won the only trophy in his career, taking home the Australia Cup with Sydney FC.

Joe Marston is an Australian soccer legend from the 50s and the 60s. In 1949, he was scouted and offered a trial at English side Preston North End, where he eventually ended up signing. Marston played for the Socceroos on thirteen occasions, in a time when international games were a small commodity.

A dangerous striker in his time, Frank Farina ventured abroad for the first time in 1988, when he signed for Club Brugge. In Belgium, Farina would win one super cup and crown himself top goalscorer of the 1989-90 season. After spells at Bari, LOSC Lille and KRC Waregem, Farina would hang up his boots in 1999 at Marconi Stallions FC.

Archie Thompson played for Belgian side Lierse SK and Dutch top club PSV Eindhoven, but only really made a name for himself on the 4th of November 2001, when he scored 13 (!) goals for the Socceroos against American Samoa. A record that is still standing today.

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