Kevin Muscat has declared that he will retire from playing following Melbourne Victory’s campaign in the Asian Champions League, but he will not act as captain for the remaining matches of the club.
Consequently, the 37-year-old’s last match in the A-League will be remembered as January’s notorious confrontation against Melbourne Heart, where he was issued a red card for a harsh tackle on Adrian Zahra from Heart.
The eight-match suspension resulting from that incident, which concluded Zahra’s season, eliminated any possibility of Muscat participating again this season, even if Victory succeeds in reaching the grand final.
Having captained Victory since the A-League’s inaugural season in 2005-06, Muscat is the only player to have been consistently associated with the club since its inception.
He mentioned that the incapacity to perform on the field and during training like he once could led him to the conclusion that retirement was necessary.
“After much thought and contemplation, I continuously questioned myself ‘was it time?, and I recognized the extent of my frustration,” Muscat stated.
“Showing up for practice, unable to execute what I demanded of others throughout my career – which was to give 100 per cent.
“As time went on, I found it increasingly challenging to achieve that, and when I did manage, it took me a few days to recuperate.”
Muscat has participated in 122 A-League matches and has earned the Victory Medal as the club’s top player three times, including sharing the honor with Danny Allsopp during both of their championship seasons.
Prior to his tenure with Victory, he dedicated a decade to playing club football abroad, which included a stint in the English Premier League with Crystal Palace and leading second-tier club Millwall to the 2004 FA Cup final, although he was unable to play in that match due to injury.
Muscat also announced that he would resign as Victory captain for the Asian Champions League, appointing Adrian Leijer to take charge of the team during that tournament and the A-League finals.
He is now set to transition into an assistant coach role at Victory, having secured a contract for the next two seasons.
Muscat identified the highlight of his career as the penalty he successfully converted in the 1-0 World Cup qualifier victory against Uruguay at the MCG in 2001.
by Buford Balony
