Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill and Brett Emerton. If you tuned in to the English Premier League a decade ago you would have been guaranteed to see a plethora of Australian soccer's Golden Generation doing the business in the world's highest profile competition.
Who could forget Viduka dismantling Liverpool by scoring all four goals in Leeds' 4-3 win in Nov-ember 2000? Or how, at the end of the game with the camera pointed at him, he said, "Hi Mum". 
Five years later, Australia's representation in the EPL reached its high watermark of 13.
It's a different story today. With the EPL to kick off a new season later tonight, Australia is down to three players - Mile -Jedinak (Crystal Palace), Adam Federici (Bournemouth) and Mark Schwarzer (Leicester).
Neither the 42-year-old Schwarzer, one of our greatest players, nor Federici are guaranteed regular starting spots while there have been some noises that Socceroos and Palace captain -Jedinak is also fighting for his spot under manager Alan Pardew, who has some riches from which to choose in his midfield.
It is certainly slim pickings as far as Australian interest is -concerned and it is unlikely to improve any time soon.
Socceroo Massimo Luongo, who will play for Queens Park Rangers in the second-tier Championship this season, and goalkeeper Maty Ryan, who recently signed a four-year deal with La Liga club Valencia, are the two most likely to graduate to the EPL.
Luongo signed with QPR, relegated from the EPL at the end of last season, after a terrific season in League One with Swindon Town and big things are expected of the midfielder.
Ryan was a natural to make a move to a better league after a couple of stunning seasons with Club Brugge in the Belgian league. He has all the qualities to be a success in Spain and, one day, Eng-land. But while there is hope for the duo, the question has to be asked: "How did Australia's EPL stocks reach such a poor state?" Leading player agent Lou -Sticca, the man responsible for bringing Dwight Yorke and Alessandro Del Piero to the A-League, did not mince his words.
"Simply our players are not good enough," Sticca said. "We are not producing the talent. We don't have a Golden Generation coming through.
"Our guys are not better than what the English clubs already have. To be honest, I also think our players have become too cosy at home and do not have the hunger that players like (Edi) Krncevic, (Graham) Arnold, Schwarzer, Viduka, Kewell, Cahill had. The A-League is great but it has taken away the spirit of adventure and pioneering new careers overseas." Significantly, where once the English clubs were prepared to take a gamble on a young Aussie, these days they are more discerning. They have rich pastures to choose from in Europe, Africa and South America. The clubs are hungry for success and a quick fix to problems. They prefer to spend their money on proven players.
That has left Australian players to try to make a mark in the less glamorous leagues, such as in Belgium, Austria and Switzerland.
Sticca believes that is still the best option for Australians."Our previous batch of overseas pioneers put themselves in the shop front by trialling or playing in the Euro leagues then jumping to EPL and Serie A (in Italy)," he said.