Revealed: The VERY surprising job Aussie soccer legend Mark Viduka is doing in retirement – as his controversial quip about his wife resurfaces

Aussie football legend Mark Viduka is bucking the trend when it comes to his chosen line of work post his impressive playing career – and he couldn’t be happier making coffees for a living.

Viduka, 49, is one of the nation’s most decorated stars following a journey that saw him play for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Scottish giants Celtic, plus Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The striker also has 43 Socceroos caps to his name, including being appointed captain at the 2006 World Cup in Germany where Australia lost to eventual champions Italy in the round of 16.

After hanging up his boots in 2009, the father of three boys – and eventually relocated to Croatia and bought a coffee shop in Zagreb – where, he jokes, ‘my missus does all the work’.

To this day, Viduka prides himself on being a laid-back Aussie who is happy to stay out of the limelight.

‘I wasn’t obsessed with fame, at all. I didn’t like it. I still don’t. I wasn’t obsessed with money, that came as a by-product,’ he said in a 2021 interview with the Daily Mail.

Viduka, 49, is one of the nation’s most decorated stars following a journey which saw him play for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Scottish giants Celtic, plus Leeds United (pictured), Middlesbrough and Newcastle United in the Premier League 

Viduka also captained the Socceroos at the 2006 World Cup, where they lost to eventual champions Italy

‘You’ve seen what football is like, a lot of dishonest people who try to shaft you. But I always tried to stay true to myself.

‘Maybe that’s why there is this negative perception, because I didn’t conform. I was born and raised in Australia but my parents were Croatian. 

‘I have that Aussie tolerance but I also have my Croatian side, I’ll stand my ground if I believe in something. It’s about being honest with yourself.

‘A lot of players suck up to fans, coaches, journalists, and everyone loves them. But what sort of people are they when you remove all the bulls**t? Are they good people or just playing the game?’

Former Wimbledon champion and Croatian sporting great Goran Ivanisevic is among the regulars at Viduka’s Non Plus Ultra cafe, which means No Higher Point.

After 269 goals in his professional career, the highlights are endless, but Viduka is often drawn back to one game –  November of 2000, Leeds versus Liverpool at Elland Road.

Viduka scored all four goals for the home side in a 4-3 thriller – and more than two decades later, it still stunned by the result.

‘I didn’t play that well. Some bad touches, poor hold-up play, that stays in your mind,’ he recalled.

Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic is a regular at Viduka’s coffee shop in Zagreb

After Leeds, Viduka went on to have spells at Middlesbrough (pictured) and their rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League

‘I had four shots that day, scored four goals. How often does that happen?’

‘Dukes’, who shot to fame as a teenager with Melbourne Knights in the now defunct National Soccer League (NSL) in Australia, is also happily retired.

‘Everyone has their time. I’ve had mine. I’m fine with that. I enjoy the peace,’ he said. 

‘I’m happy to be anonymous now.’