Viduka makes Aussie agreement

Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka is to play on for Australia.

The 30-year-old captained his country at this summer's World Cup but he missed last week's 2-0 Asia Cup defeat to Kuwait amid speculation that he was considering international retirement.

However, he has now come to an agreement with Graham Arnold after holding talks with the caretaker boss.

Viduka intends to make himself available for Australia duty in future, but probably not for every game as he focuses on his wife's pregnancy.

"It is a big commitment playing for Australia because there is such a lot of travelling and it means being away from the family and not being able to concentrate fully on playing for your club," he explained.

"I have come to an agreement with Graham because my wife is pregnant and we are by ourselves here, so I want to be with her at this time.

"I do not know if I will play in the next game either - we have already qualified anyway."

Viduka also revealed that he was not the only Australian to consider international retirement following the excitement of the World Cup.

"A lot of us were thinking when we got to those sort of highs, is it going to get any better than this?" he told Middlesbrough's official website.

"Will it all be downhill from here?

"Also, the next World Cup is in four years' time and I do not know if I will still be playing - maybe I will, maybe not."