Terry Venables little-known Australia stint revealed: Former England coach managed the Socceroos after Three Lions exit as Craig Foster lifts the lid on his first training session Down Under

• Former England coach Terry Venables died on Sunday 
• He briefly managed the Australian national team 
• His short spell is positively regarded by Australians 

Terry Venables’ death has led to an outpouring of emotional tributes for the popular former football coach, with high-profile figures from English football and beyond providing their favourite memories of ‘El Tel’.

But few will recall Venables’ short stint in Australia, where he managed the Socceroos shortly after his England exit.

Venables took the unusual step of taking the Australia job in November 1996 following Eddie Thomson’s resignation. 

He didn’t exactly endear himself to the locals when he first started, however. Venables was dubbed ‘El Telephone’ by the Aussie press due to his decision to remain in England during his early days in charge.

Terry Venables transformed Australian football during his tenure in charge

The Englishman took charge of the Socceroos following his England exit

Former Australia players say he changed their mindset on tactics

But he soon won his critics over with his respected brand of football, leading the Australians to a World Cup play off match against Iran for a place at the 1998 tournament in France.

The big match ended in misery for the Socceroos, though, with Venables’ young side squandering a two-goal lead in front of 85,000 fans at the MCG to draw the match 2-2. 

Iran advanced on away goals and former Soccer Australia chairman David Hill admitted via FTBL: ‘I’ve never seen a worse scene in sport,’ such was the Socceroos’ disappointment.

‘Alex Tobin who was a very presentable captain was just not physically capable of getting to the press conference.

‘Now the FIFA rule is the coach and the captain have to attend but Tobin couldn’t do it. It was awful so I sat next to Venables and all he could say was, “gutted, I’m gutted”.’

Venables also led the Australians to the 1997 Confederations Cup final, where they were defeated by the all-conquering Brazil, but decided to quit in 1998 after mounting pressure following their World Cup disappointment.

Despite only managing 24 games for Australia, his tenure is positively regarded. He took the Socceroos into the top 30 of FIFA’s rankings – the nation had never broken into the top 50 before his arrival.

He certainly transformed the attitudes of the Socceroos squad, too. Following his death on Sunday, Gary Neville described Venables as ‘the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced’, and Australia legends Robbie Slater and Craig Foster echoed those sentiments.

However, his spell ended in heartbreak after they failed to qualify for the World Cup

‘He’s a larger-than-life character but he’s someone you respect because of what he has done in the game and where he has been,’ Slater said. #You can feel his passion for the game as soon as you meet him.

‘When I first met him, I must have been 32 and he still taught me things I had never heard of. I never learnt more from any other coach than I did from him. He has such a depth of knowledge for the game and has such great attention to detail.’

Foster, who played under Venables at Crystal Palace, added: ‘Players have always loved him. He’s a charming man, he’s in touch with the players and his understanding of the game is outstanding. 

‘I remember his first-ever training session with the Socceroos, he . . . stopped with every player in different positions and told every single one of them some tactical information that they hadn’t known.’ 

It’s clear to see Venables’ legacy extends far beyond English football.  

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