Bub Comes Before Country For Sterjovski
The Age
Friday May 16, 2008
SOCCEROOS: Midfielder Mile Sterjovski hopes to shrug off the disappointment of English Premier League relegation with Derby County by helping Australia make it to the final phase of the World Cup qualifiers.
But his chances of playing in anything but the first and final games at home of the four matches against Iraq (twice), Qatar and China are slim.Sterjovski is due to become a father for the second time in early June and said his child's impending birth would almost certainly rule him out of the away matches in Dubai against Iraq (June 7) and in Doha against Qatar (June 14).But he hopes to be considered for the opener against Iraq in Brisbane on June 1 and the last match of this qualifying phase, against China in Sydney on June 21."Hopefully, I can get one game in before the baby arrives but we'll see how it works out," said Sterjovski, who comes into camp under coach Pim Verbeek for the first time on Monday when an Australian squad packed with A-League players starts preparations for the May 23 friendly against Ghana.Several players, including skipper Lucas Neill and striker Josh Kennedy, are in doubt because they and their partners are expecting children. -- MICHAEL LYNCH
© 2008 The Age