The debt I couldn't repay Sven, by the captain of Australia

As Okon arrived at Leeds, little did he realise how many would be leaving. Nick Townsend on an unsettling time

The end of a surreal week for the playing stock left on the shelves after the Elland Road discount sale. And particularly so for Paul Okon, captain of Australia. Normally, the Leeds midfielder would have been concentrating purely on yesterday's Premiership game at Everton and Tuesday's FA Cup replay with Gillingham, while permitting himself the occasional contented thought ahead to a date with England at Upton Park.

Indeed, it will have been particularly focused on the friendly international on the day we met because it coincided with the Australian manager, Frank Farina, revealing his squad, which included eight England-based players, including the Leeds trio of Okon, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka.

But nothing at Leeds is ever that simple these days. Even as we spoke, another of his clubmates was disappearing in his four-wheel drive, never to return, through the snow-flakes swirling around the club's Thorp Arch training complex, leaving behind a blizzard of words and recrimination. This time it was Jonathan Woodgate. The last of six players, although whether it will be the last in total is not entirely certain.

For the remaining personnel it must be a dispiriting experience to view the clear-out from such close quarters? "That's the ugly side of our situation," says Okon. "But everybody realises that it's something that's down to the board and the chairman. You just have to continue working hard in training and going out to play. Whatever decisions are taken are made for reasons we can't affect, though it is sad when you've been team-mates with somebody for quite some time and you see them go like that."

That said, one senses that Okon will view the dispersal of his former colleagues pragmatically. He possesses the air of contentment of a man who, after being "completely ignored" by Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough and failing to secure a contract at Watford following a loan period, is back in the Premiership after being summoned by his old mentor, Terry Venables.

They say a man is best judged by those whose company he keeps. If that is true, then there is considerably more to the 30-year-old who has played under three England coaches, past and present, and one of those, Venables, in three separate incarnations, than an undistinguished defensive midfielder, this "Skippy" of footballing nations, who simply got lucky.

Venables, whatever his imperfections, is regarded as a sound arbiter of quality and character. It will have taken considerably more than the fact that Okon was available on a free transfer to persuade the Leeds manager to make the Australian one of only two acquisitions – the other is Nicky Barmby – since arriving at Elland Road.

It would, perhaps, be over-stating the point slightly to suggest that Venables' and Okon's careers have been inextricably linked. Although Okon was a member of Venables' Australia squad which progressed to within a game of the 1998 World Cup finals, he didn't actually play at that time because of injury; however, Okon did perform a crucial role for him during those few months Venables turned saviour of Boro and now, here at Elland Road, the Aussie has once more emerged as a steadying influence in midfield with Venables in charge. "I enjoy working with him [Venables]," says Okon. "With Australia, he was a fantastic manager for us, even though we didn't qualify for the World Cup. We all wanted him to stay because he taught us so much."

He adds: "I arrived here right at the end of the pre- season and hadn't played since finishing the season with Watford, so there was a big gap. Everyone was so much fitter than me, so I had a lot of catching up to do and I then had a muscle injury and was out for several weeks, so I didn't come in until December. But now I'm pleased to be getting a regular run."

His belated start to the season gave rise to speculation that Kewell might be named captain of Australia. There have also been rumours, some not unconnected with this particular debate, that Viduka and Kewell don't communicate. But Okon insists: "They get on. They don't speak to each other as much as Mark and I do, but we've been playing together for 10 years now and we both know each other's family, so that's only natural. Also Harry's younger than both of us."

The career of the Sydney-born son of an Italian mother and German father began with Sydney Marconi, where his team-mates included the Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and the striker who would one day cost Internazionale a world record £31 million, Christian Vieri. "A lot of people in Australia can't believe what he's done," says Okon of the latter. "He only took up football at 14. Until then he was a mad cricket fan whose hero was Allan Border. You'd look at him and laugh when he first started playing football."

Traditionally an Italian-supported team, Marconi were then managed by one Frank Farina. When the now Socceroos manager moved to the Belgian side Club Brugge he took Okon with him.

After five seasons, the player moved to Lazio, but his progress was curtailed by a serious knee injury which meant that Okon only played sporadically before finally he was told to rest for 12 months.

During that time, his morale was maintained by the club's then coach, Sven Goran Eriksson.

"He more or less said to me 'There's no rush, as soon as you're ready I'm going to get you back into the team'," recalls Okon. "Coming from someone like him, who has enormous respect from all players, to hear that at a time when I was struggling, was really good. I've got real respect for Sven. He's one of the few managers who has this gift to keep all members of the squad happy. These days that's almost impossible. The shame was I couldn't repay him on the pitch."

While he was out, Lazio began to invest extravagantly, as it transpired, in players and Okon realised his chances would be restricted. As he departed for Fiorentina, a certain Juan Sebastian Veron arrived and the Rome club went on to win the Serie A championship.

The match against England in 11 days' time just about represents the pinnacle of a mercurial career. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it every day," Okon concedes. "The fact that I'll be captain is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

One hesitated to mention it, but he's unlikely to forget the present Leeds season either.