Mitch Duke may have called time on his Socceroos' career -- but the veteran Australian striker showed he still has some magic left in his boots with a worldie of a goal for his Japanese club Machida Zelvia in the Asian Champions League.
Duke, the 35-year-old evergreen striker who announced his international retirement in July after failing to make the cut for Australia's final World Cup squad, netted what may just be the most extraordinary individual goal of his career in Thursday's League Two fixture in Asia's premier club tournament.
Collecting the ball in the 20th minute in Machida's home match against Cambodian champions Svay Rieng in Tokyo, Duke duelled for a header about 30 metres out from goal with nothing looking on for the veteran.
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But he then flicked the bouncing ball niftily over the head of his marker Rui Pires with his right foot, before shifting across to his left and, with the same foot, hitting a swerving volley that dipped over the goalkeeper and crashed in off the underside of the bar.
It continued a fine run of form for the 50-times capped Duke, the former Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers striker who's rejoined the Tokyo side Machida in the J-League after last season''s stint with Macarthur.
Duke also scored at the weekend for Machida while providing assists in his two previous matches.
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His wonder goal set the J-League side on the way to a comfortable victory, and to maintain the Aussie theme, current Socceroo Tete Yengi, who came on to replace Duke after the break, sealed their 2-0 win with a clinical left-foot finish after being put in by superb approach work from Keiya Sento.
It was 25-year-old Yengi's fourth goal of the season in his ninth game since making his loan deal from Scottish club Livingston permanent in July.
