Inspired by Australia's Liverpool legend, Craig Johnston, a new book looks at a number of players who, for one reason or another, are also 'lost Socceroos'.
Surfing for England – Our Lost Socceroos by Jason Goldsmith is a series of short stories that looks at the careers of players who didn't get to play for the Socceroos – but could have.
Some missed out due to international football politics; some played the game at top level when Australian football was still finding its feet; for others, their only opportunity to play internationally was to opt for another country; one died much too young; some decided to turn their back on the country of their birth in favour of their ethnicity.
Of course, amongst those who were 'lost', there is also one who did everything he could to make sure he wasn't – Tim Cahill, who only recently retired internationally after a 108 game, 50 goal career with the Socceroos.
Goldsmith has talked to the players, or those close to them, in finding out why they made the decision they did, and shares their straight from the heart responses.
"I wanted to document the players we have produced who might not ordinarily get a mention because they didn't play for the national team," says Goldsmith.
According to Santo Cilauro, who wrote the Foreword, "Jason Goldsmith's account of who didn't play for Australia – as opposed to those who did – is unique. He ushers us through a labyrinth of sliding doors into a parallel universe of whys and why nots …".
Surfing for England – Our Lost Socceroos is the latest book from Fair Play Publishing, which specialises in publishing football books.
It is available from 26 August in paperback at a RRP of $24.99 from good bookstores, Amazon and directly via Fair Play Publishing, or as an e-book.
$1 from the sale of every paperback book will be given by Fair Play Publishing to the DT38 Foundation.
