Mark Bosnich of Manchester United gathers the ball during the UEFA Champions League game between Real Madrid and Manchester United at the Bernabeu stadium (April 4, 2000) // Photo by Stu Forster, Allsport
“I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king. I've been up and down, and over and out, and I know one thing. Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race.”
The lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s 1966 song “That’s Life” could just as easily be used to describe the life of Mark Bosnich. Bosnich has played on the biggest and brightest stages in football, spearheaded his club and national teams to unprecedented heights, and left an indelible mark on various Premier League clubs. But, he’s also had to pull himself out of the depths of despair. There are many words that can be used to describe Mark: goalkeeper, pundit, father, Red Devil, Villan, Socceroo. However, perhaps none epitomizes him better than resilience.
Born in Sydney, Australia to a Croatian immigrant father and a second-generation Croatian mother, Bosnich was raised in the southwestern suburb of Liverpool and grew up supporting Liverpool FC – featuring a fellow Aussie in Craig Johnston. Bosnich started playing football at a young age for various local clubs like Hajduk Rangers, Marconi and Sydney Croatia, and it wasn’t long before other teams started taking notice. Bosnich was invited to England for a three-day trial at Liverpool, and his stellar displays convinced the Reds to offer him a place in their academy. However, his father would pump the brakes, forcing Mark to finish the final two months of his academic studies before heading to Anfield.
Whilst his dream move edged ever closer, Australia manager Eddie Thomson contacted his former classmate – Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson – who offered him a two-week trial in March 1988. As fate would have it, that ended up turning into a long-term spell, with Bosnich playing three matches for the Red Devils before returning to Australia in July 1991 after his student visa expired. And yet, just seven months later, he would make yet another 10,000-mile journey to the United Kingdom, signing for Aston Villa on a free transfer.
“I always count myself as very, very fortunate to have had the life that I've had,” says Bosnich in an exclusive RG interview. “There were a lot of great Australian players who went to countries where English wasn’t the main language, so I was lucky in that respect as well as the fact that Manchester’s culture is very similar to Sydney’s. The toughest thing to adjust to was the weather, but eventually, you get used to it.”
After spending his first few months in the West Midlands as a second-choice option, Bosnich wrestled the starting spot from Nigel Spink and started the final 16 matches of the Premier League season. Bosnich confirmed the promising sensations by solidifying his starting spot in goal during the 1993/94 season under Ron Atkinson and playing a vital role in one of the most important seasons in the club’s entire history. Although the Villans regressed to 10th in the table, they pulled off an unforgettable League Cup run that would see them eliminate Birmingham City, Sunderland, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. They faced off against the Tranmere Rovers in the semifinals, where Bosnich would stop three penalties in the shootout to confirm their spot in the final. And then, four days later, Bosnich saved two penalties to help Villa secure a 1-1 draw at Tottenham. The best was saved for last – Villa prevailed 3-1 at Wembley against Manchester United to secure their first trophy since 1982.
A trailblazer in more ways than one, Bosnich not only took part in the Premier League’s inaugural 1992/93 season, but he also was one of the many goalkeepers who were forced to adapt their style to the back pass rule, which was introduced in 1992. Suddenly, goalkeepers were no longer able to pick up a pass from their teammates, they had to be ready to deliver not just with their hands, but their feet.
“It's definitely changed the game for the better and sped things up,” says Bosnich of the back pass rule.
“I remember when teams used to just score a goal and then turn around from the halfway line and whack it back to their goalkeeper. It's definitely improved the game’s entertainment value. I always tell young goalkeepers, ‘You've got to be in charge when the ball comes to you, whether that’s to your hands or to your feet, and you've got to quickly make up your mind. It’s fine if you want to play out from the back, but be sensible – there’s no need to try to play a one-two in front of your own box when a long ball will suffice.’”
A Quest For Championships
Bosnich was from a different era – one that didn’t have international breaks. Since the inception of the FIFA International Match Calendar in 2006, club teams now release their players for international duty for a two-week period in March, June, September, October and November, going on a temporary break in order to allow them to represent their nations.
Back in his day, however, they weren’t on the same page: players had to choose between playing for club or country. Bosnich missed the first leg of Australia’s World Cup qualifier vs. Canada because he was under the false impression that he had the green light to forego the match and play in Villa’s opening Premier League match before linking up with them in Sydney for the second leg on August 15, 1993. Instead, Bosnich was suspended from the league opener at the behest of the Australian FA, prompting him to retire from international football.
Both sides would eventually make amends and Bosnich played the full 90 in a 1-1 draw vs. Argentina two months later. Unfortunately, by the time they faced off for the second leg, Bosnich was back halfway across the world and helpless to prevent them from losing 1-0 in Buenos Aires and missing out on a spot in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Two years after ending Villa’s trophy drought, Bosnich led Villa all the way to another League Cup title by keeping six clean sheets in eight matches, including a 3-0 win vs. Leeds in the final – Villa’s last trophy to date. 1997 was a bittersweet year for Bosnich: when Australia looked set to qualify for their first World Cup in a quarter-century, Iran scored two late goals to send it to extra time and eventually prevail on penalties.
One month later, Bosnich played in his first-ever major tournament for Australia in the FIFA Confederations Cup, a tournament that lasted from 1997 to 2017, which pitted the winners of the six different continental championships up against the World Cup winner and the host nation.
After sitting out in the opener vs. Mexico, Bosnich was given the nod and excelled between the sticks, letting in just one goal in their three matches vs. Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to reach the final. However, Australia would end up falling to 10 men early on and losing 6-0 to Brazil via hat-tricks by Ronaldo and Romário. Bosnich would play just one more match for Australia – a friendly vs. Hungary in 2000 – coming to the agreement with his club and country that he would only represent the Socceroos in significant matches.
Bosnich’s stellar performances in goal landed him the Oceania Footballer of the Year award in 1997 and the Oceania Goalkeeper of the Century award in 1999, which drew the interest of his former employers. Eight years after leaving due to work permit issues, he returned to Manchester United in 1999 on a free transfer – the only player that Ferguson signed twice during his 27-year spell at United.
Bosnich had big shoes to fill after the legendary shot-stopper Peter Schmeichel departed for Sporting on the back of an unprecedented treble, but coped with the pressure and emerged as the #1 choice. He won his first-ever league title, with United finishing 18 points clear, and he also achieved the club football equivalent of the Confederations Cup – the Intercontinental Cup – as United became the first English side to win the competition by beating Palmeiras in Tokyo. However, the arrival of Fabien Barthez from Monaco would see Bosnich relegated to third-choice goalkeeper and cause him to seek a move to Chelsea in 2001.
In contrast to United (38) and Villa (217), Bosnich managed just seven appearances for Chelsea. His time in West London was defined by injury struggles and one night in September 2002, when Bosnich tested positive for cocaine, causing Chelsea to tear up his contract and the English FA to suspend him from football. This nine-month ban transformed into a five-year exile, with Bosnich becoming a recluse and developing a devastating cocaine addiction that eventually caused him to go bankrupt. It wasn’t until 2007 that he got on the road to recovery, with ex-Chelsea teammate and QPR goalkeeping coach Ed de Goey inspiring him to come out of retirement. Bosnich started training at QPR’s training ground and shed 33 lbs in the summer of 2007, before returning to Australia in 2008.
Bosnich made his return in Central Coast Mariners’ preseason cup match vs. Sydney FC, keeping a clean sheet and saving a penalty, and when he was subbed off in the 80th minute, he was given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. On August 31, 2008, Bosnich made his A-League debut in a 4-2 away win vs. Queensland Roar – his first official match in 6 years, 9 months and 12 days.
Whilst he only managed a handful of appearances for Central Coast Mariners and Sydney United, Bosnich’s homecoming has nevertheless been a fruitful one. Today, he’s not just one of the most renowned football commentators in Australia – he’s also a constant inspiration to the millions of people who are struggling with drug addiction. Above all, he is veritable proof that it’s always darkest before the dawn.
Zach Lowy is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and who has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXMFC, and various other platforms. After pursuing a global sports journalism degree at George Washington University, Zach has been able to tap into his multilingual background and interview major footballing figures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as operate the weekly podcast 'Zach Lowy's European Football Show' on BET Central.
