Just a few
weeks ago Australia’s Mark Viduka was being touted as surplus to requirements at
his English Premier League Club Middlesbrough, with pundits having him bound for
Newcastle. But in
yesterday’s Sun newspaper, there was manager Steve McClaren in the run-up to
his return to the premiership earlier this morning after a long lay-off from
injury, revealing how he recently assured Viduka: “you’re one of the best
strikers in the business – we’re keeping you”.

Viduka wasted
no time repaying his manager’s faith as he put two goals – including an
early candidate for goal of the season – past home
team Birmingham, as Boro won 3-0. It was the big
Aussie’s first start for the club since last April, when that proved to be a
premature return from the injury that laid waste to his 2004-2005 league
season, and his first goals for the club since last December.

He side-footed
his first from a driving cross and then scored a
stunner: after bringing the ball down to
his feet with deft control from a throw-in, he turned and jinked around the
close checking defence right on his hammer, before unleashing a scorching
volley right across the face of the goal into the top right hand corner – and all before half-time!

It was vintage
Viduka to announce he’s not only back in the premiership, but great news for our
own upcoming World Cup qualifying against the Solomon Islands, as he again
showed that when fit and firing on all cylinders he’s as good as it gets. As McClaren said after the game:

“When
Mark Viduka’s fit there is no-one better in the Premiership at what he does and
the two finishes were superb. He is a
special player, he has real quality. The first goal wasn’t easy but the second
was really special. In the first six
months with us he was excellent and we were playing very well. We then lost him
and struggled and it’s great to have him back.”