There are few players who have had as much presence and as strong of a cult following in Australian Football than Mile Jedinak. A man who had to pay for his own trial at the Central Coast Mariners that went on to be a captain in the Premier League and for the Socceroos. His story is therefore a fascinating one. He discussed it in detail with Daniel Garb:

Chapters

01:19 That beard and how it came to be such a big part of his life

03:28 How Mile Jedinak is managing through the coronavirus crisis

04:58 Jedinak’s foray into coaching – is that where his future lies?

06:48 Does he still want to play on or has he retired and will he return to the A-League?

08:17 What Football meant to Mile Jedinak as a child and when did he think he had the talent to make it?

10:49 The arduous task of trialling at the Central Coast Mariners just to earn an A-League contract

12:56 A moment his Mariners trial almost came unstuck

16:05 Finally breaking through at the Mariners

18:58 Moving to Turkey and the major reason he was so desperate to go

21:55 The magnitude of the move to Crystal Palace and how it all came about

25:00 The club he almost signed for instead of Palace

25:47 Captaining Palace to promotion

28:16 The step up to captaincy as a player who few thought had that in him

33:46 The Premier League Goal that stands out above all else

34:53 The coach that had the biggest influence at Palace

37:37 Do players in the Premier League care about winning for the fans as much as they say?

39:46 His time with the Australian national team starting with the 2003 World Youth Cup

42:25 Playing in the Germany game at the 2010 World Cup and how things were turned around at that tournament

46:23

How did things fall apart under Holger Osieck?

48:55 The impact of Ange Postecoglou on a young Socceroos group

51:06 Then Prime Minister Tony Abbott calling him Mike!

52:02 Leading the Socceroos to Asian Cup glory on home soil

54:41 Was he let down by Ange Postecoglou’s call to quit before the 2018 World Cup?

56:29 Reflecting on the Bert Van Marwijk job

58:21 Reflecting on the Bert Van Marwijk job

59:39 Should Cahill have come on against Denmark?

1:00:51 Going over his choice to retire from the national team

1:00:55 What’s going through your mind taking penalties on a stage as grand as a World Cup?

1:04:45 The way in which his connection to the Dylan Tombides tragedy occurred and his relationship with the foundation and family

1:12:48 Best player he ever played with and against

With thanks to ISC Sport - the choice for quality performance kit

Twitter @DanielGarb

Instagram @dan_garb

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.