Adrian Leijer
Leijer playing for Melbourne Victory in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adrian Leijer | ||
| Date of birth | 25 March 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Dubbo, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre Back | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Suwon FC | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001 | Geelong SC | ||
| 2002–2003 | VIS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Melbourne Knights | 20 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Melbourne Victory | 38 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Fulham | 0 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Norwich City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2009–2015 | Melbourne Victory | 135 | (6) |
| 2015 | Chongqing Lifan | 24 | (1) |
| 2016– | Suwon FC | 28 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Australia U-17 | 11 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Australia U-20 | 10 | (1) |
| 2006–2008 | Australia U-23 | 23 | (1) |
| 2008 | Australia | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 December 2016. |
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Adrian Leijer (born 25 March 1986) is an Australian Association Football player who currently plays for Suwon FC as a centre back.
Leijer was born, and largely grew up in, the New South Wales town of Dubbo to a family of Dutch and English heritage. He played from Under 10 - Under 14 with SASS Strikers Junior Soccer Club in the Dubbo & District Soccer Association. Whilst with SASS, he represented Western New South Wales and New South Wales Country in football. In 1998, Leijer was a co-captain of Orana Heights Public School in Dubbo.
When Leijer was 15 years old his family moved south to Jan Juc on Victoria's surf coast and attended Belmont High School where he joined Geelong SC and represented the U-15's Victorian Country team. Ian Greener, then Head of Coaching & Development at the Victorian Soccer Federation, spotted his talent and recommended him to the head coach of the Victorian Institute of Sport Football program, Ernie Merrick.
Leijer spent two years at the Victorian Institute of Sport and then moved on to the Melbourne Knights for the last season of the now defunct National Soccer League, where he made 18 appearances during a season where the club finished second last in the competition.
While still training at the VIS, Leijer and his future team mate Kristian Sarkies were selected to trial with Premier League Everton Football Club for three weeks. However, they both failed to impress and returned home to Australia.
Upon his return to Australia, he was signed by Melbourne Victory, a team in the new A-League competition. His former VIS coach Ernie Merrick, who had taken the reins at Melbourne Victory, stated; "Adrian is a reliable and uncompromising defender with a football maturity beyond his years. He is already part of the senior leadership group within the club and is the second youngest player in the squad,"
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