Tony Vidmar announced his retirement after an illustrious 19-year career at the top level.

Playing  his final match when the Central Coast Mariners played Newcastle
Jets in the 2008 Hyundai A-League Grand Final.

The Adelaide-born Vidmar is Australia’s third most capped Socceroo with 76 appearances in a 15-year international career. and accumulated almost 450 senior matches in a career that began in 1989 with Adelaide City in the National Soccer League (NSL)

He earned his first international cap in 1991 and served longer in the green and gold shirt than any other player. Vidmar’s club career is equally impressive playing in Belgium, the Netherlands, the English Premier League (Middlesbrough) and the Scottish Premier League (Glasgow Rangers), before returning to Australia in 2006.

At the time of his retirement  FFA Chief Executive Ben Buckley said. “Tony Vidmar is one of the greats of Australian football with a remarkable career both with the national team and at club level,”

“Tony was a stalwart of the Socceroos for many years competing in four World Cup campaigns, and given his calmness under pressureon the field it was fitting that he was one of the heroes againstUruguay scoring from the penalty spot on that historic night inNovember 2005.

“As much as anyone, Tony is a player that wore the green and gold with passion, perhaps best exemplified with that famous emotionalimage after the World Cup qualifying defeat against Uruguay in 2001.

“Aside from his many on-field achievements Tony has played  the game with fairness throughout his career.”

Following his retirement as a player Tony was appointed as an assistant Coach at Adelaide United FC and he completed his A Licence Coaching course in 2008 .

In August 2009 Tony was also appointed as the new Head Coach of the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) / National Training Centre (NTC) Football Program.

The appointment reflects the FFA’s approach to creating pathways and opportunities to develop a new generation of coaches from past players, and Vidmar will work closely withand under the direction of the FFA National Technical Director Han Berger.