HOW TRIP CAME ABOUT

Q AJust enjoying some time off with the family around this time of year. Enjoying the break and the weather. It has been good down here and we have had some nice weather. It is a beautiful spot.

You are on the way to Cairns for a three-day workshop with the Caravella Football Academy. How did that come about and what is your relationship with Zenon to get you up to the Far North to help teach the next generation?

ALuke, how are things down in Wollongong?

Back in the day, we had a little chat when I was at Middlesbrough, he came over to the club as a trial. It is funny when you look back on it now. We had Mark Schwarzer (pictured) there around the same time so there were a few Aussies there. It was a fair time ago. But, Zenon gave me a call about a month ago and I saw what he is doing up in Cairns and I thought it would be great to be involved. I am looking forward to getting up there into a different area of Australia. The way Zenon explained it to me, it is not everyday that juniors in the region get to work with players who have gone overseas or played at international level. Me coming up, they can have one on their doorstep. I am excited to get involved with the clinics, I have been doing them in Wollongong recently as well. I have taken over as the Wollongong Wolves coach in the NPL for next season so it is a great opportunity to give back. Coming back into my home region like I have done since I retired, there is lots of room for improvement for football and I think what Zenon is doing in Cairns, it sounds like they will be improving as well. The facilities sound fantastic. I have not spent much time up that way but I went up to Port Douglas on holidays once, which was nice.