Mark Bresciano

Mark Bresciano

Bresciano with Australia in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Mark Bresciano
Date of birth	(1980-02-11) 11 February 1980 (age 36)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder / Winger
Youth career
1986–1996	Bulleen Lions
1997	AIS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1997	Bulleen Lions	9	(4)
1997–1999	Carlton	28	(6)
1999–2002	Empoli	80	(17)
2002–2006	Parma	123	(19)
2006–2010	Palermo	107	(12)
2010–2011	Lazio	20	(0)
2011–2012	Al Nasr	17	(10)
2012–2015	Al-Gharafa	51	(3)
National team‡
1997	Australia U17	5	(5)
1998–1999	Australia U20	7	(0)
1998–2000	Australia U23	15	(0)
2001–2015	Australia	84	(13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 September 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 January 2015

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 September 2015.

Mark "Marco" Bresciano (Italian pronunciation: [breʃˈʃano]; born 11 February 1980) is an Australian football (soccer) player who last played for Qatar Stars League side Al-Gharafa as a midfielder. He represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games. For several years he was a regular member of the Australian national team, and represented Australia at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Since the age of 19 he played senior club football in Italy with Empoli, Parma, Palermo and Lazio before moving to the United Arab Emirates.

Bresciano grew up in Rosanna, Melbourne. He began playing football locally and later progressed to the first team of Victorian Premier League side Bulleen Lions in 1995 at the age of 15. He made little impact until his third year in the first team, scoring four goals in four league games and helping Bulleen to the 1997 VPL grand final. Bresciano's reputation began to grow and he was selected in an Australian Schoolboys squad that toured the United Kingdom in 1996. In 1997, he featured prominently in Australia's unsuccessful U17 World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring five goals.