Ranking the top 10 Australian Soccer players | All Time

Although Australia has a dominant sports history in rugby, cricket, and swimming, they are not a powerhouse when it comes to football. They have a very small pool of talents to pick and develop. Still, Australia has managed to produce some of the best talents over the years. From Harry Kewell to Tim Cahill, Tim Cahill to Mile Jedinake, Australia has been blessed to have these top-quality players hailing from their nation and making a name for themselves and their nation. In this article, we will discuss about the top 10 Australian Soccer players of all time:

List of Top 10 Australian Soccer Players of All Time

10. Johnny Warren

John Norman Warren made his debut for his nation in 1965 and his club debut for Canterbury-Marrickville in 1959. He was known as ‘Captain Socceroo’ for his passion and determination to encourage others to play football in Australia. The Best Player award in the A-League is named after him to honour his passion and determination for this sport. He has made over 40 appearances for his nation and even won New South Wales Championship in 1972.

Johnny Warren retired from professional soccer in 1974 and his last club was St George Budapest. After his retirement, he started his managerial career in 1974 with St George Budapest till 1978 when he was coaching Canberra City. He is considered one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

9. Brett Emerton

Brett Emerton started his senior soccer career with Sydney Olympic in 1996. His international career spanned from 1998 to 2012. He represented his nation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Brett Emerton has made more than 90 appearances for his nation and more than 390 club appearances. He is considered one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

8. Mile Jedinak

Mile Jedinak played as a midfielder for his nation and clubs he has been a part of. He has played for some top clubs in Europe like Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. His club career spanned from 2001 to 2019, he started his career with Sydney United before moving to Genclerbirligi in Turkey where he spent two years. In 2011, he moved to Crystal Palace and retired in 2019 with Aston Villa. After retiring, he started his managerial journey, he is currently the assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

Jedinak has made over 75 appearances for his nation and has won the NSW Premier League, A-League Premiership, and Football League Championship in his career. He is considered one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

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7. Mark Bresciano

Mark Bresciano has been a creative force for his nation and his career spanned from 1995 to 2015. He has represented his nation in three FIFA World Cup campaigns and won the AFC Asian Cup in 2015 and the OFC Nations Cup in 2004. He has made 84 appearances for the Australian side and scored 13 goals. He played for several clubs in Serie A like Parma, Palermo, and Lazio as a creative playmaker or midfielder. He is considered one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

6. Craig Johnston

Craig Johnston never represented his nation even during his peak. Craig played in the English Football League from 1977 to 1988 as a midfielder winning the FA Cup, 5 league titles, and European Cup with Liverpool. He has made over 270 appearances for Liverpool and scored 40 goals. He has over 330 club appearances to his name and even represented the England youth team. He is still considered as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

5. Mathew Leckie

Mathew Leckie is known for his speed and agility on the soccer field. Leckie made his senior club debut for Bulleen Lions in 2008. Since then he has played for several clubs in Europe like Borussia Monchengladbach, FSV Frankfurt, FC Ingolstadt 04, and Hertha BSC. His current club is A-League club Melbourne City. He has played as a midfielder, second striker, and winger throughout his career which shows his talent and skills to play at different positions.

Mathew Leckie has made over 360 club appearances and scored more than 70 goals. He has been a part of the Australian soccer team since 2012 as a midfielder and has represented his nation in two World Cup campaigns in 2014 and 2022. He is considered as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.

4. Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill is considered as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time. Tim is known for his tenacious and technical gameplay in the middle of the field. He won the OFC Nations Cup in 2004, the AFC Asian Cup in 2015, and the FFA Cup in 2016. He holds the record for the most goals scored by an Australian player in World Cups with five goals to his name.

3. Mark Viduka

Mark Viduka is often considered one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time. He made his international debut in 1994 and his senior club debut in 1993. He has represented his nation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was leading his team. Mark Viduka has played for some great clubs in his professional career like Celtic, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, and Dinamo Zagreb.

Viduka has made more than 490 club appearances in his career, scoring more than 200 goals. He won Prva HNL in 1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98 with Dinamo Zagreb. He won the Scottish League Cup in 1999-2000 with Celtic. He holds the record for the most goals scored by an Australian player in the UEFA Champions League with 4 goals to his name.

2. Mark Schwarzer

Mark Schwarzer is also considered as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time. Mark played as a goalkeeper his entire professional career. His international career spanned from 1993 to 2013. He represented his nation in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup campaigns. He started his senior club career with Marconi Stallions and later played for some of the European Giants like Fulham, Chelsea, and Leicester City.

Mark has over 620 club appearances to his name and more than 100 caps for his nation. He won the National Soccer League with Marconi Stallions in 1992-93, won the Football League Cup with Middlesbrough in 2003-04, and the OFC Nations Cup in 2004 with Australia.

1. Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell is considered as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time. Despite his career being filled with injuries, he is regarded as one of the ‘finest soccer player’ by media outlets. Harry Kewell has played for several big clubs in his career like Galatasaray, Leeds United, Liverpool, and Al-Gharafa. He has made over 380 club appearances and scored more than 90 goals.

Harry Kewell represented his nation in five FIFA World Cup campaigns and has made over 50 appearances for his nation, He has scored 17 goals in his international career. After his retirement in 2014, Harry started his managerial journey with Watford U23, Crawley Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Barnet, and most recently Yokohama F. Marinos.

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