Got game ... Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson talks football. Source: News Limited
Melbourne Victory star Archie Thompson has had his share of memorable moments but it wasn't too long ago when things were not so rosy, as Matt Windley finds out.
MATT WINDLEY: Archie, you arrived here in 2005 when the club opened its doors. Did you imagine then that you'd still be here going into 2013?
ARCHIE THOMPSON: When you look at rugby league or AFL, players tend to stick with the one club throughout their whole playing career. I've been fortunate enough to be here for a big part of my career and I'm hoping to end it here, too. I know it's the last year of my contract next year and I'm putting in the hard yards now so that when it comes to contract time next year hopefully there's still a place for me here. I always love football, no matter where I'm playing, but I think it means more to me playing here because I've been here so long and the club has given me everything. I'm grateful and I just want to give back as much as I can.
You look on Wikipedia and most players have a list of former clubs as long as your arm.
To be honest, I had a lot of clubs, too, before here. I think if you're settled where you're playing and you're comfortable, you get the best out of yourself. Because I'm surrounded by good people here they're bringing the best out of me.
Holger Osieck and the Socceroos coaching squad seem to be bringing the best out of you, too.
There was a period when I was out for a long time and even when (Osieck's predecessor) Pim (Verbeek) was in, even though I was playing some decent football with Victory, I didn't feel like I was part of that team. When injuries took over and I'd sort of been in the wilderness when it came to the national team, I felt like it had passed me by. I'm just thankful that Holger has seen something in me and he's giving me the opportunity to represent my country, because I've always said that has been the pinnacle of my career. And I don't want it to end because I enjoy the camps. I go into camp knowing it could be my last one and I want to enjoy it, and every time I put on the jersey I want to put in 150 per cent, not just 100.
What's your relationship like with Holger?
He's a really nice guy. He sees me as an impact player coming on and I don't mind doing that because I know that's my role in the team. I think when everyone knows their roles in any sort of team or organisation everything seems to work.
You had a taste in 2006, but missed the World Cup in 2010. Have you got your head around the fact you might be a chance for Brazil 2014?
How long away is that? Eighteen months. It's coming around, I better start looking after myself. You keep thinking it's ages away - and I do still think it is a long way away, so I'm trying not to think about it. But I've still got the hunger for it.
You've scored 29 goals for the Socceroos and are now level with Damian Mori as the highest all-time scorer for Australia. What would it mean for you to break the record?
I really thought I was going to break it against some of the teams we were playing at the East Asian Cup qualifiers. Going into that game against Guam I was thinking about it all day and I think I put too much pressure on myself. I thought I would actually break it and I had good chances too - I hit the post, the keeper pulled off a good save, I scuffed one over the bar. I really thought that was going to be it. Unfortunately, it didn't come that way. But I would love to break it and to be the all-time highest Socceroos goal scorer, it has a nice ring to it. It doesn't even matter who the goals were against. It'd be pretty special. Mind you, Timmy (Cahill) is eyeing it too.
One goal in particular, though, the winner in the World Cup qualifier against Iraq in October, must have been pretty special . . .
For me, that was probably the biggest goal I've ever scored for the Socceroos. When I look at where we were, how the other teams in the group were placed, how important the game was, how tough Iraq is - especially away from home. I could not stop smiling for a good few days. I think I'm still smiling from it. Just the importance of the win, too. It was a great day. We're right back in it now and we've got three games at home to come.
Those are the good times, but it wasn't so long ago when things weren't so rosy. How tough was it last year at Victory?
It was really hard. There was so much hype - and there always is here because we are without doubt the biggest club in Australia -but we had all these extra expectations with Harry (Kewell) coming. There was a lot of pressure on him, and then we had a few coaches too. Mehmet (Durakovic), a great guy, probably wasn't ready for that kind of role just yet. I was excited about the year, but things didn't go our way. We weren't performing on the pitch. It was like a morgue in the changerooms. There was no atmosphere, no belief, and probably for me that was the most disappointing year because of that. I always love coming to training to see the lads, but that was probably one year I really didn't enjoy it, no one did really because we weren't having the success on the pitch. I'm getting to an age now where I've got to make sure all the years that I play count, and that's one year I won't get back.
Is that why you couldn't score?
At the start of the season I'd only need one chance to score a goal. I could have worn a bloody blindfold in the first nine games and still scored. But in the second half of the season I don't know what happened. I had 100 more chances than I did at the start of the season and things just didn't go right. Those sort of things happen. I didn't even realise that I hadn't scored for 13 games until I got my first one against Newcastle this year. It did play on my mind because as a striker you're judged on goals. Especially these days, there's so many good young players coming through. For instance (Andrew) Nabbout. I honestly actually felt a little bit guilty coming back from Socceroos and taking his spot because he'd been doing so well and scoring. That's why I've got to keep scoring and playing well - there's always someone waiting in the wings.
When Victory has had success, you've had a great wingman. There was Danny Allsopp, Robbie Kruse and now Marco Rojas.
He's a huge talent. He's amazing. At the start I didn't know much about him, but seeing him up close at training, and what he does, I just thought, "This kid is something special". I spoke to him about it and he, too, last year, just felt like he didn't really want to play, he'd lost all of his confidence. I don't think Jimmy (Magilton) was really accommodating of that as a coach, he just lost his way a little bit there. But when you've got someone like Ange (Postecoglou) coming in, who builds that confidence up, not just for him but the whole team, the atmosphere changes. Words can't even express how happy I am for him at the moment and how good a footballer he can be. I think Ange knows that and sees it, and that's why he pushes him probably harder than he pushes the rest of us.
And Ange? What's the transformation been like?
I got stopped at a cafe on Sunday by someone who came up to me and said he'd been a Victory supporter since day one and said that last year's football was s--- and that was being kind. I had to agree with him there, but then he said, "This year, Ange has got you playing some of the best football I've ever seen you play." Coming from a supporter, that means a hell of a lot because, at the end of the day, they're the ones that buy tickets every week and for someone to say that, that was good. As players, with Ange, we believe in him because he's done so well with Brisbane and we've already seen how much we've improved since the first couple of rounds to where we're at now. And it's only going to get better. It's exciting times.
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