Tony Dorigo – "My boss at Villa didn't let me play for Australia, so England called me up instead. I made the best of it..."

The reluctant international and Leeds title winner talks Italia 90 and King Eric’s aura

- By Sean Cole

Why did you never play for Australia?

It was difficult – I ended up feeling I had no choice. Australia asked about my availability when I was 18; they wanted me to go Down Under and play against the likes of Fiji and Samoa. I went to see Tony Barton, the Aston Villa manager, and explained all of this to him and said I’d love to play for Australia. He basically told me, “No, you’re not doing it”. The international calendars weren’t aligned and there was no legal requirement for the club to release me. The power wasn’t with the players then. I was really disappointed, but I simply got on with my job at Villa Park.

How did you feel about playing for England when you had no family ties to the country? What was the response like from the press and fellow players?

After qualifying for citizenship, England were keen for me to get a British passport and play for them. It was strange – the press always referred to me as ‘the Aussie-born England player’, but the boys were brilliant. The longer I’ve lived in England, the more I’ve felt part of things. It wasn’t the perfect situation, but everyone to do with England was incredibly welcoming. I made the best of it. Of course, you never quite lose your Aussie accent, and I never will. It’s nice to retain that.

What did you make of Bobby Robson?

He was wonderful. If he said to run through a brick wall, you’d give it a go. He believed in you and gave you confidence. He got names wrong and it somehow made you like him even more! We had some right tales on the training ground. He was great – a character, experienced and a passionate Englishman who wanted everyone to do extremely well.