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Saturday, June 2, 2012
Socceroos captain Neill dumped by UAE club
Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill will have added motivation to impress in Australia's friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday (1am AEST) after being released by his UAE club Al Jazira.Signed from Turkish giants Galatasaray, Neill has been informed that his one-year contract with the Abu Dhabi-based Pro-League outfit won't be renewed.Neill had publicly stated his intention to extend his time at Al Jazira but, instead, the 34-year-old is looking for another club, along with axed Brazilian coach Caio Junior.The ambitious club have come off a relatively-poor season that included a fourth-placed Pro-League finish after winning the 2011 title and being eliminated in the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League.The news will interest several A-League clubs although, with Neill reportedly earning $1.5 million with Al Jazira, he will need to take a significant pay cut to return to Australia.The former Blackburn and West Ham defender has already been linked with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.