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 \u00a36 million fee.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> defeat to Inverness.<\/p>\n And reflecting on his Hoops spell, the Australian forward has told his side of the story.<\/p>\n Mark Viduka on feeling like an \u2018alien\u2019 during his Celtic spell<\/p>\n For a player who was such a reliable first-team goalscorer to become a scapegoat is uncommon, but then again, this is Scotland.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Update on Brendan Rodgers to Wolves as Premier League job race gets serious after Celtic departure<\/a><\/p>\n His decision to return to Australia came after a traumatic end to his time at Croatia Zagreb, with ongoing tensions in the region.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In an interview with the Guardian,<\/a> he was frank and honest about his struggles at Celtic Park, dealing with the Scottish press.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to say exactly how it is, and whatever happens, happens. At six in the morning, I\u2019ve got a news crew in front of my parents\u2019 house. It was like the whole world was not big enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I wanted to do it for the money, I wouldn\u2019t have said anything. In the UK, people move from London to the north and they struggle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to work really hard for people to take notice. People\u2019s first thought is: \u2018You Aussies don\u2019t have a clue about football.\u2019 You could be a better player than the Brazilian or European but somehow there\u2019s still that perception \u2026 You come to the UK and just fall in like some sort of alien.\u201d<\/p>\n Australian connection at Celtic<\/p>\n Regardless of how he felt during his Parkhead spell, Viduka did pave the way for a long list of Aussie connections at Celtic.<\/p>\n Scott McDonald<\/a> scored 62 goals after joining Gordon Strachan\u2019s<\/a> side in 2007. Aaron Mooy<\/a> had a stellar sole season in 2022-23.<\/p>\n![\"2011](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-109076188-1024x742.jpg\")
Photo by Mark Dadswell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n