Today's Chronicle says YBR is looking at Hayden Foxe, and Aussie central defender playing in Japan. They speculate that Newton Heath and Leeds may also be in for the guy. Do any of our Australian or Asian correspondents know anything about him? Kegsy, Tre?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2000

Answers

I think he's a socceroo if it's the same fox he is from Melbourne and he has red hair and he played good the little I saw of him.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2000

I've only heard of him because I tried to sign him on CM3. I know that he does have an English passport and so wouldn't need a work visa. I'll try and do some research!

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2000

Came to notice when he was picked for the Olympic team (last one). He was the only player not signed to a "Pro" club he was playing in the state league. Sort of Vaux Conf type league.

He was a good find. Like Craig Moore. Tall, rangy, solid defender not flash. Younger Howey? Australian National coach , Eddie Thompson signed hom for his Japanese team when he left OZ. He is not a youngster, about 24. (Not sure of his age)

We could do a lot worse. He has been partnered in defence by a sweeper and or twin centre back. Oz has played 3, 4 and 5 at the back from u19 - u21 - full internationals. He is a full international and has been for 3-4 years. He was included after Thompson left by Vegetables and is still part of current coach Farinas squad.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2000

"I know that he does have an English passport" said Kegsy - that's a new one on me, cos mine's British!? ;-)

Good to see you aboard, gus.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2000

Sorry, it's a bad habit I've got into. Over here everyone's always talking about England rather than Britain or the UK.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2000

Ciara

Actually I thought Hayden was only 22 or 23. He will be in our Olympic squad for Sydney. Some of our soccer "experts" here rate him as our best player behind Kewel, though I'd have to say I'd put Viduka ahead of him. When he's healthy and available for the national team he is an automatic selection, which says a little as the centre of defence is possibly the one position where we have a fair bit of depth.

I know his contract is up in the summer and he'll be moving on a Bosman free. Speculation here is that Leeds is leading the chase to sign him via the Kewel link.

Personally, I think he would be a good signing as he could come through the ranks with Hughes. Speculation I heard over the weekend, is that possibly both Goma and Marcellino will be sold in the summer, with Helder the priority signing in defence, joining Howey and Dabizas as the main players for the two central positions.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2000

For what it's worth, Hayden Foxe looks to me one of the few quality prospects coming out of Oz. One question though - do we have to participate in the annual lottery of paying large transfer fees for overseas players who often don't make the grade ? Strikes me that we should see if we can get the likes of Foxe on loan for the rest of the season ? Anyone know when the J-League winds down in Japan ?

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2000

It's just started. First games were last week end and there will be a mid season break in June before starting up again in August (I think). Yes folks, in Japan football is a summer sport. I personally enjoy playing in 95% humidity and 36 degree heat in the shade. BTW the attendances over here are worse than Sunderland last seasons average was a paltry 15,000. Somethibng to do with competing against baseball.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2000

Taggart has got his neb in and expected to sign him.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2000

Southampton are also said to be interested. Rejuvenated Foxe back on the defensive. I found this today sorry it is so long, ooer missus

By MICHAEL COCKERILL IF not for the intervention of Graham Arnold, who knows what might have become of Hayden Foxe? As it is, the elegant defender is poised to emerge from an injury-inflicted hibernation to establish himself as one of Australia's most influential players. Foxe has no hesitation in crediting Arnold - the former Socceroo who is now player/coach of Northern Spirit - as playing a pivotal role in his development. Almost four years ago, and just a few months into his first spell overseas as an amateur with Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, a combination of injury and homesickness had Foxe at his lowest emotional ebb. At the time, Arnold was coming to the end of his contract at another Dutch club, NAC Breda. "I was doing it tough, really tough," recalls Foxe. "I was ready to pack it in, I was thinking I just wasn't cut out to play overseas. "I'm a real Aussie, I reckon Australia's the greatest country on Earth and I wasn't handling being away from home at all. "I was just going to walk out of the club. But Arnie talked me around, telling me Ajax was the best football school in the world. He rang the club and asked them to let me go home for a couple of months to get things sorted out. "When I got back before Christmas, I had a completely different attitude. Once I had settled in, I learnt so much. Arnie was dead right. Ajax was a fantastic place to learn." Such is the depth of Foxe's ability, he would have risen to the top regardless. Yet Foxe still seeks counsel with Arnold whenever the opportunity arises; he could hardly have a better mentor. Foxe, certainly, is a mirror image of Arnold in two significant aspects - he remains a willing pupil, and his passion for the green and gold knows no bounds. Ironically, Foxe also followed Arnold to Japan, where he now plays his club football with Sanfrecce Hiroshima under former national coach Eddie Thomson. Slowly but surely, he is picking up the pieces of a career almost de-railed by a rare foot injury. Cool on the ball, decisive in the tackle, strong in the air, and quick on his feet for a big man, Foxe is the complete defender. And the silver lining to his injury cloud of the past four years is that Foxe plans to make up for lost time. An integral member of the Olympic (under-23) team for Sydney 2000, Foxe is a willing and enthusiastic candidate for the Socceroos whenever he is required. In the context of Australia's other foreign-based players, particularly those of Foxe's vintage, his passion for playing for his country makes a welcome change. Foxe has now played for Australia at all four levels (under-17, under- 20, under-23 and senior), and his proudest moment arrived when he made his Socceroo debut in San Jose last November. He was a standout in a scoreless draw against the US, and is hoping to build on that when the Socceroos meet the FIFA All-Stars at the Olympic Stadium on June 12. It will provide a fitting stage for Foxe to prove that his worst days are behind him. And some of those days were pretty harrowing indeed. After spending the 1995-96 season with Ajax, Foxe was released. There were offers from rival Dutch clubs but he opted to return home and help the Olyroos qualify for Atlanta. Foxe did play a crucial role in the two-legged victory over Canada in the play-off, but the ankle injury which had dogged him throughout the season sidelined him for the duration of the Olympics. He was the only member of the squad not to get onto the field in either Miami or Orlando. An operation followed and Foxe was sidelined for a further eight months. By that stage he was involved in another flag-flying mission, this time with the Young Socceroos at the 1997 World Youth (under-20) Championships in Malaysia. Foxe hoped his fitness problems were behind him when he accepted an offer to join Arminia Bielefeld in the German Bundesliga, but sadly, he was wrong. Indeed, the extent of the damage to the navicular bone in his foot threatened to end his career. "My Dad has always been right behind me, he's a legend," says Foxe. "But when even he started to tell me it might be time to think of another career, I started to panic a bit. I mean, I was hardly the world's best student at high school. Football is the only thing I've ever wanted to do." It is history now that Foxe returned home mid-season to seek specialist advice and rehabilitation at the AIS in Canberra, and by the time he returned to Bielefeld at the end of the 1997-98 season, the worst was over. Despite having two more years left on his contract, Foxe was allowed to leave as a free agent, and immediately snapped up an offer to go to Japan. There he will remain until just before Sydney 2000, when he hopes his second Olympic experience will be more positive than the first. The portents are encouraging. Foxe is now regarded as one of the best defenders in the J-League, and his fitness and confidence are returning. Undoubtedly the world is about to hear a lot more of a player who rates having a beer at his local pub in Winston Hills, or spending a holiday with his mates to Forster, as defining moments in his life. On and off the park, Australia could hardly have a better ambassador

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2000

Good article Gus.

I remember the FIFA All (joke) STAR team game and the two games against manure. Foxe was brilliant in all three.

As to his injury, he appears to be over it and recently played for Oz in South America.

On the Official site either yesterday or today there is a article about him. I knew he was still young, 21. Remember the Olympics are an U.23 tournament, and he has already played in one and has got into the full national team as well.

Tre

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2000