Australia coach Graham Arnold has named Mark Milligan as Mile Jedinak’s successor, with the defensive midfielder’s first outing as permanent Socceroos captain to come on Saturday night against South Korea.
Milligan, who has been capped 72 times for Australia, was the 56th player to skipper the Socceroos when they played South Korea in Seoul in July 2013. He has since led the side on 11 occasions.
Milligan succeeds Jedinak, who announced his retirement from international football in October this year and Arnold said the Sydney-born player is a natural choice as one of the senior leaders in the Socceroos squad.
“As we embark on a new era we look to leaders like Mark,” Arnold said. “Mark has been a part of the national team for 12 years now. The experience gained over that period is invaluable to our squad and his leadership on and off the park shines through every day.
“I have known Mark for a long time. I worked with him when he was the youngest member of our 2006 Fifa World Cup squad, and he has grown as a player and person over the years.”
Football Federation Australia CEO, David Gallop, congratulated Milligan and said he joins an illustrious group of Australian players to carry the honour.
“Only 59 players in the 96-year history of the Socceroos have had the privilege to lead our national team,” Gallop said. “To be selected in four consecutive Fifa World Cup squads is an incredible achievement. It provides invaluable experience and knowledge which Mark will be able to share with the new generation of Socceroos.”
Milligan said it will be an honour to lead his country as they prepared to defend the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates early next year. “I am extremely humbled by the opportunity,” Milligan said. “I acknowledge it is a significant responsibility and it is one which I look forward to.
“We have a great challenge ahead of us at the AFC Asian Cup but we will travel to the UAE in the knowledge that we are well prepared. We have some exciting new players in the squad as well as some players who have been around the national team for a long time, which provides a good balance.”
Milligan will first lead the team on Saturday night when Australia take on South Korea at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, before Tuesday’s friendly against Lebanon, which also serves as Tim Cahill’s farewell match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
