Position: Midfielder
Born: 05.08.80
Club: PSV Eindhoven

Heralded as one of Australia's brightest prospects when he made his NSL debut as a 16-year-old for Sydney United, Jason Culina has blossomed into an attacking midfielder who is finally making a success of things in Europe.

Looking back, a transfer to Ajax at the age of 19 came too early for the man from Melbourne and it was not until he left Amsterdam five years later that he really blossomed into the player everyone thought he would.

By that stage he had spent loan spells at Germinal Beerschot and De Graafschap but it was a permanent move to FC Twente in the summer of 2004 that saw him finally start to live up to his potential.

Eleven goals in his first season there brought him to the attention of Guus Hiddink and he was so impressed with Culina that not only did he make him a mainstay of his Australia squad but he also recruited him for Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven.