Just days away from his 36th birthday, Vukovic decided to terminate his contract with Genk three months prematurely to be with his wife in Sydney before the birth of their second child.

It was a hard choice but one made easier after he was dropped last month for one of the rising stars of Belgian football, 19-year-old goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt. Described by Vukovic as an “unbelievable talent”, Vandevoordt been hailed by many at Genk as the next Thibaut Courtois.

“I was coming off contract, they have a very talented young guy coming through they want to push and I lost my spot. I couldn’t justify being there anymore, not being used and my wife heavily pregnant,” Vukovic said.

“I wasn’t playing badly but the coach wanted to make a change... It was a difficult period for me after that. I was upset, angry because I was dropped but the decision [to leave] wasn’t made out of anger, it was the right decision for my family.”

The Socceroo has vowed to continue playing next season despite his advancing years. Already, his agent Mikkel Beck is in contact with clubs in Europe, however Vukovic hasn’t ruled out a return to the A-League, suggesting he has “missed this place”.

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With the transfer window not reopening for three months, his next move won’t be made soon. For now, Vukovic will spend the coming fortnight in solitude reflecting on his success in Europe.

“I am just proud of what I have achieved. It raised a lot of eyebrows there, [Genk] signing a 32-year-old goalkeeper who hadn’t been to Europe but I proved many people wrong.

“I helped the team qualify for the Europa League in the first season and got player of the year, then in the second year I played Europa League and helped the team win the league,” he said. “I still have to pinch myself to this day. It’s remarkable how it panned out.“