Mark Viduka’s Celtic career, on the face of it, was immensely successful on an individual level.
Yet the former Hoops striker isn’t remembered as fondly by Celtic supporters as he is by fans of Leeds and Australia’s Soccerroos.
This is despite scoring 35 goals in just 48 appearances during his spell in Glasgow, which was admittedly short before he moved to Elland Road for a £6 million fee.
There are several reasons for this coldness from sections of the supporters, including his decision to return home from Australia immediately after joining the Hoops, and to not come out for the second half in the infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness.
And reflecting on his Hoops spell, the Australian forward has told his side of the story.
Mark Viduka on feeling like an ‘alien’ during his Celtic spell
For a player who was such a reliable first-team goalscorer to become a scapegoat is uncommon, but then again, this is Scotland.
It was understandable that his commitment was questioned after his absence in the second half against Inverness. This was after an altercation with Eric Black.
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Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images
His decision to return to Australia came after a traumatic end to his time at Croatia Zagreb, with ongoing tensions in the region.
He had experienced abuse from his own fans while in Croatia, and despite his friends telling him not to be open about his struggles, was honest with a sympathetic Josef Venglos.
In an interview with the Guardian, he was frank and honest about his struggles at Celtic Park, dealing with the Scottish press.
“I had to say exactly how it is, and whatever happens, happens. At six in the morning, I’ve got a news crew in front of my parents’ house. It was like the whole world was not big enough.”
“If I wanted to do it for the money, I wouldn’t have said anything. In the UK, people move from London to the north and they struggle.
“We’ve got to work really hard for people to take notice. People’s first thought is: ‘You Aussies don’t have a clue about football.’ You could be a better player than the Brazilian or European but somehow there’s still that perception … You come to the UK and just fall in like some sort of alien.”
Australian connection at Celtic
Regardless of how he felt during his Parkhead spell, Viduka did pave the way for a long list of Aussie connections at Celtic.
Scott McDonald scored 62 goals after joining Gordon Strachan’s side in 2007. Aaron Mooy had a stellar sole season in 2022-23.
Ange Postecoglou’s two-year spell as the Hoops manager was an exceptionally enjoyable one for fans, with the team turning the tide against the odds and growing back into a dominant force in Scotland.
But perhaps the most legendary of them all is Tom Rogic, who made 273 appearances in Hoops. He scored one of the most important Celtic goals of the modern era against Aberdeen, and displayed outrageous talents across his nine-and-a-half years.