Gold Coast’s Culina to train with PSV Eindhoven ahead of World Cup

Gold Coast United captain Jason Culina will prepare for this year’s World Cup by training with his former club PSV Eindhoven.

Culina will return to his old club in Holland to train until early May when he will then join the Australian national team ahead of the 2010 finals in South Africa.

He has booked five weeks of training with PSV, preferring that to joining other European and Asian clubs and made the decision after speaking with national team coach Pim Verbeek.

“The decision to go to PSV was made with Pim’s blessing and we both thought it was a very good idea for me to train at a very high level with a top European club,” Culina said.

“I had the option of going to Europe in January and to the Middle East or Asia a few weeks ago, but I declined those offers as PSV was always in the back of my mind.

“My decision was made easier by the standard of football in Holland and the quality of the training, which with all due respect, is higher than what I would find in Asia or the Middle East.

“I know the area, I know everyone there and they know me, so the transition will hardly be felt at all, which allows me to just slip right in and concentrate on doing what I’m there to do.”