Qantas Socceroos Team Doctor Lands Job with Liverpool FC

Qantas Socceroos Team Doctor Lands Job with Liverpool FC

Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO Ben Buckley paid tribute to the outgoing Qantas Socceroos Team Doctor, Peter Brukner, after today-s announcement that Dr Brukner would be joining English Premier League Club, Liverpool FC, as their new Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“We are obviously selfishly disappointed that Peter is leaving the Qantas Socceroos medical staff, but we understand the reasons that he would want to pursue this opportunity,” said Buckley today.

“It reflects well on Australia that we can produce people with such expertise that is desired by top sporting organisations, such as Liverpool FC, around the world.

"It's also great that Peter will continue with us until the end of our 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign as he is a very valuable member of our medical team.

“We wish Peter all the best for his new challenge,” concluded Buckley

Speaking from Melbourne, Dr Peter Brukner was overwhelmed by the positive response to his new appointment.

"The prospect of working at one of the world's great sporting clubs is very exciting and once the World Cup is over I will be devoting all my energies to improving the performance of the team," Brukner said.

"I will be visiting Liverpool over the next few weeks and learning more about the club, prior to returning to Australia to join up with the Qantas Socceroos for the World Cup.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to work with the Qantas Socceroos and FFA over the past four years and I'm very much looking to finishing off the job we started at the World Cup in South Africa,” concluded Brukner.

Brukner began working with the Qantas Socceroos from late 2006, throughout the AFC Asian Cup 2007 campaign and during the qualification stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2011.

He had previously worked with AFL clubs Collingwood and Melbourne, looked after Australian teams in swimming, athletics and hockey, served as Australian team doctor at Olympic and Commonwealth Games and is currently a Sports Physician at the Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine (CHESM) at The University of Melbourne.