CAPTAIN SOCCEROO

As Australia continues their run to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we pay tribute to JOHNNY WARREN, the most pivotal figure in Australian football history. In this edited extract from his book, author Lucas Radbourne takes a look at the life and times of the legendary Socceroo and how his revolutionary passion provided Australia's voice in the global game...

-  JOHNNY WARREN

With a single utterance Johnny Warren encapsulated the agony and ecstasy; the moment that defines him is the moment that defines Australian football. He captained Australia to its first international trophy in 1967 and its first World Cup in 1974, and played in its first World Cup match. He won four New South Wales state championships, his final as the team’s player and coach, and he even scored the winning goal in the grand final before substituting himself – but off the field he was one of the most influential footballing figures of the 20th century. He wasn’t just a player, captain and coach but also a journalist, administrator, author, broadcaster, lobbyist and revolutionary. When asked what his defining legacy should be weeks before his death his response was: ‘I told you so.’ The defining moments of every other great Aussie footballer are evidence he was correct.

THE WARREN REPORT

NAME: John Norman Warren BORN: May 17, 1943 HOME TOWN: Sydney, NSW MAJOR TEAMS: Australia, CanterburyMarrickville, St George Budapest POSITION: Midfielder SOCCEROO CAREER: 1965-1974 (42 appearances, seven goals) CLUB CAREER: 1959-1974 (200+ goals)

THE FORMATIVE YEARS