Mark Milligan: Australia captain retires from international football
- Published
Mark Milligan led Australia out for the final time in a 5-0 2022 World Cup qualifying win over Nepal in Canberra in October
Australia captain Mark Milligan has retired from international football.
The midfielder, who has been in four World Cup squads and won 80 caps, joined League One side Southend United in the summer from Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.
"It has been a privilege to be involved with the Socceroos over the last 14-odd years," 34-year-old Milligan said.
"To be able to represent my country over that time is above and beyond anything I could have dreamed of."
Sydney-born Milligan made his Australia debut against Liechtenstein in June 2006, having started his club career at Northern Spirit.
He had spells at Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets before moving to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in 2009.
Mark Milligan has played 19 times for Southend since joining the club in the summer
He also spent time in Japan, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia as well as playing more than 100 games in two spells at Melbourne Victory between 2012 and 2018.
"I was lucky to work under some wonderful coaches in my international career," he told the Southend website.
"Thank you to Guus Hiddink for first bringing me into the Socceroos' set-up, and the late Pim Verbeek for keeping my dream alive. Thank you to Holger Osieck for handing me the captain's armband for the first time.
"A special thank you to Ange Postecoglou who showed great faith in me and gave me my first start at a World Cup, and a chance to play in the Asian Cup Final. Ange taught me so much both in club and international football."