Brent McGrath
Brent McGrath | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1991 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Retired professional footballer |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | Soccer player, striker for Bentleigh Greens, Australia international |
Brent Colm McGrath (born 18 June 1991) is a retired Australian international footballer who currently features as a striker for Bentleigh Greens in the National Premier Leagues.
Hailing from Sydney, McGrath honed his skills at Brøndby and made his professional debut with the club in 2010. He returned to Australia in 2013, signing with Adelaide United before moving to Bentleigh Greens. Subsequently, he had a spell in the Thai Premier League. In 2015, he resumed playing in Denmark, joining FC Fredericia and later transferring to Esbjerg fB.
McGrath has been capped once by the Australian national team, appearing in their 2011 triumph over Germany.
Junior Representative to International
Recognized early for his potential while representing Sydney United in the NSW Premier Youth League, Brent was selected at age 14 for the New South Wales state squad. His development during this period laid the foundation for advancement to higher competitive levels. Although he faced difficulties at the 2005 U/14 Friendship Games, he caught the attention of coach Ange Postecoglou and became the youngest player to represent the 'Joeys' during the U/17 FIFA World Cup qualifiers held in Laos in 2006.
Club career
In 2010, McGrath secured a contract with Brøndby IF, making his first appearance on 22 March against Randers FC, coming on as a substitute for Peter Madsen. His inaugural goal for Brøndby came in October 2010 during a 1–1 draw versus FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga.
Following his departure from Denmark, McGrath trialed with Melbourne Victory ahead of the 2013-14 A-League season but ultimately signed with Adelaide United.
On 20 August 2015, he agreed to a one-year deal with Danish 1st Division outfit FC Fredericia. In May 2016, McGrath earned a three-year contract with Danish Superliga club Esbjerg fB. During his second season there, he was loaned back to Fredericia. He left Esbjerg at the conclusion of the 2018/19 campaign when his contract expired.
On 6 July 2019, McGrath joined newly promoted Danish 1st Division side Kolding IF, scoring on his competitive debut in the 2019–20 Danish Cup. He departed Kolding in September 2019 to return home to Australia.
By December 2019, McGrath had signed with National Premier Leagues Victoria club Bentleigh Greens.
International career
McGrath received his first call-up to the Socceroos from coach Holger Osieck for a friendly encounter against Germany. He entered as a substitute during Australia's 2-1 victory.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brøndby | 2009–10 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2010–11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Brøndby total | 39 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 5 | ||
| Adelaide United | 2013–14 | A-League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bentleigh Greens | 2014 | National Premier Leagues | 13 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 |
| Sisaket | 2014 | Thai Premier League | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| Chonburi | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Port (loan) | 2015 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
| FC Fredericia | 2015–16 | Danish 1st Division | 27 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 15 |
| Esbjerg fB | 2016–17 | Danish Superliga | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 2018–19 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
| Esbjerg total | 26 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| FC Fredericia (loan) | 2017–18 | Danish 1st Division | 4 |3 |4 |0 |0 |16 |7 | |||||||
| Bentleigh Greens SC | 2020 National Premier Leagues | National Premier Leagues | 3 |1 |0 | 0 | 0 |6 |3 | |||||||
| 2021 National Premier Leagues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |1 | 0 | |||||||||
| 156 | 43 | 19 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 176 | 55 | |||
Club
- FV Community Shield: 2020