MITCHELL WOODCOCK

June 4, 2012

Former Australian Socceroo Stan Lazaridis has been inducted into the Football Western Australia hall of fame.

Lazaridis, 40, is WA’s most capped Socceroo with 72 appearances from 1993 to 2006, as well as playing for West Ham United and Birmingham City in the English Premier League.

He returned to WA in 2006, after playing more than 300 games in England, to join A-League side Perth Glory.

Football WA acknowledged these accomplishments and inducted Lazaridis in front of 300 guests.

“(I am…) absolutely honoured really because it means you have been recognised for something you have done,” Lazaridis told Inkwire.

“When your own state acknowledges you it’s pretty special.”

Lazaridis also acknowledged the others who were nominated alongside him  – former Perth Glory and Socceroo teammates Bobby Despotovski and Scott Miller as well as six other state and national players.

“I am very happy along with all the inductees to be alongside all those great names,” Lazaridis said.

Lazaridis retired in 2008 and  hopes in two or three years to get back into football in Western Australia where he could help younger players coming through or other players to do well.

“For me it’s all about nurturing our younger players coming through,” he said.

“Hopefully [it would be with] with Perth Glory or something to do with the State League, wherever I can help.”

Lazaridis said he would not be demanding I never want to demand any particular job.

His current focus though is his young family.

“At the moment I’ve got two daughters I have got to look after,” Lazaridis said.

WA’s most capped national goalkeeper Robbie Zabica and Australia’s first woman to score a goal and hattrick at international level, Sandra Brentnall, were also inducted.