Chris Harold
Christopher Harold | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 14, 1992 Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Professional soccer player (retired), lawyer |
| Years active | 2010–2021 |
| Known for | Playing as a forward for Gold Coast United, Perth Glory, Central Coast Mariners, ECU Joondalup |
Christopher Daniel Harold (born 14 July 1992) is a retired Australian professional soccer player who most recently played as a forward for the National Premier Leagues side ECU Joondalup.
Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Harold began his professional journey with Gold Coast United in 2010 after rising through their youth ranks. Following the club's dissolution, he moved back to Perth in 2012 to sign with Perth Glory. In January 2020, he secured a short-term contract with Central Coast Mariners.
Harold also earned caps representing Australia's youth national teams on two occasions.
Club career
Originally from Perth, Harold spent a significant portion of his early years living in Singapore and Malaysia. In 2009, he had a brief stint training at the Manchester United Academy.
His senior debut came on 26 September 2010 for Gold Coast United, when he entered as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Sydney FC.
In 2012, Harold joined Perth Glory, where he became an integral part of the squad over eight seasons. He left the club in January 2020 to sign a short-term contract with Central Coast Mariners. However, after the suspension of the 2019–20 A-League season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mariners announced that Harold would not return for the remaining fixtures citing personal reasons. At age 28, in October 2020, he announced his retirement from professional football, expressing dissatisfaction and disillusionment with both the A-League and Australian soccer overall.
Following his retirement, Harold reunited with former Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe by joining ECU Joondalup in the National Premier Leagues.
International career
In March 2010, Harold toured South America as part of the Australian Young Socceroos squad.
He was named to the Australia Olympic football team on 7 March 2011 for an Asian Olympic Qualifier match against Iraq.
After football
Harold holds a law degree and transitioned into legal practice at a Perth-based law firm following his football career. As of 2021, he retains the record for most A-League appearances with Perth Glory. In 2023, he was appointed to the Football West board of directors.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gold Coast United | 2010–11 | A-League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| Gold Coast total | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| Perth Glory | 2012–13 | A-League | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 9 | ||
| 2016–17 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Perth total | 143 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 24 | ||
| Central Coast Mariners | 2019–20 | A-League | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| ECU Joondalup | 2021 | National Premier Leagues WA | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16!!3 | |
Club
Gold Coast United:
- Champions of the A-League National Youth League in the 2009–10 season
Perth Glory:
- Winners of the A-League Premiership for the 2018–19 campaign