"What's happened is an absolute disgrace, it's an outrage," he said. "The survival of Leeds United is in jeopardy and we have this, all for the sake of a Mickey Mouse game that took place at the other side of the world. Where is the justice in that?
"Mark has given a lot to Australia and I can honestly say there is no one more loyal towards the cause than Mark. I would fully understand it if he told them where to stick international football now. They don't deserve someone like him.
"Furthermore, having not trained for three weeks whilst in Australia, Mark complained upon returning to Leeds of pain in his lower back and tightness in his hamstrings... It is difficult to understand why such a hard stance has been taken which does not appear consistent with that for those of other players who, for whatever reasons, did not travel to Caracas."