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Milligan puts country first

13 May 2008 | 15:50 - AAP

Committed... Milligan has oput his off-field dramas behind him and is ready to knuckle down on the training pitch (Getty Images)

Contrite Olyroos captain Mark Milligan stressed Tuesday he was prioritising playing for Australia at the coming Olympics above sorting out his club career overseas.

Sydney defender Milligan left Australia on Tuesday with the Olyroos for the Intercontinental Cup in Malaysia, where they will play group games against Ghana, Croatia and Chile in a format similar to the Olympics.

Milligan was initially expected to miss the whole tournament after being suspended for five matches by Football Federation Australia for giving them late notice of him missing an Olyroos training camp in Townsville last month.

The ban was cut to two games after Milligan held further talks with Olyroos coach Graham Arnold and his Socceroos counterpart Pim Verbeek.

Milligan missed the camp because he was overseas reportedly trialling with English Premier League club Arsenal, while another EPL team Manchester City was also allegedly interested in his services.

The 2006 World Cup squad member will miss the Olyroos matches in Malaysia against Croatia and Chile and was philosophical about his punishment.

"Both sides got everything off their chest and that (the ban) was the final decision, so I just have to get on with that and work hard in Malaysia over the first two games, so I'm ready to play in the third," Milligan said at Sydney Airport.

Milligan said balancing club and national commitments was very difficult but emphasised his commitment to the Olympic cause.

"Country is very important to me, it's always been the case," Milligan declared.

"The Olympics has been on my agenda for a long time and it's very important to me to be involved.

"In the lead up definitely country, until the Olympics it is my number one goal."

Milligan said he had yet to decide where he would play his club football and cited his return to Australia as evidence of his dedication to the Olympic campaign.

"I decided to come home and sort this out, which I think shows my commitment to the Olympic side and Olympic cause," Milligan said.

He said he apologised to the Australian team before dinner on his first night back with his colleagues, several of whom he had spoken to beforehand.

"All the boys, we are great mates, I've been with this group of players for a long time, so they were very understanding and very happy to move on with things."

Milligan said he was still talking to "a few clubs" but didn't want to identify them, though he felt his game was more suited to the English and Spanish leagues.

The Olyroos were also excited at the prospect of playing against one of the world's greatest talents, with Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi confirming his intention to play at the Olympics for Argentina, one of Australia's group rivals in Beijing.

"He (Messi) normally plays right wing and I'm a left back, he might be my direct opponent, I'm going to have a hard time," Olyroos defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley said.

"He's one of the best players in the world but it's going to be a massive challenge and I guess an honour for me to play against him."

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