Connor Chapman

Connor Chapman
Born	(1994-10-31) October 31, 1994 Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Professional soccer player
Years active	2012–present
Known for	Playing for Newcastle Jets, Melbourne City, Incheon United, Pohang Steelers, Western United, Daejeon Hana Citizen, FC Seoul, Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory; representing Australia at U17, U20 and U23 levels

Connor Chapman (born 31 October 1994) is a professional soccer athlete from Australia who currently plays for Gimpo FC. He has represented his country at the under-17, under-20, and under-23 levels.

Early life

Raised in South Western Sydney, Chapman began structured football activities at the age of five with Moorebank Sports. At ten years old, he successfully trialed for the football program at Westfields Sports High School and competed in representative matches for Southern Districts within the Football NSW metropolitan representatives league. By age eleven, he was selected to represent NSW Primary Schools (NSWPSSA) at the Australian School Sports football carnival held in Darwin. At thirteen, he played for Football NSW during the Football Federation Australia National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour.

When he was 14, Chapman received his initial national team invitation to attend a Joeys training camp in Canberra, where he participated in two friendly matches against Japan. That same year, he earned a scholarship to join the Central Coast Mariners Academy through its partnership with Westfields Sports High School. Additionally, he trained with the Sunderland A.F.C. Reserves and Academy at the Academy of Light in England; despite being offered a spot, visa complications prevented him from relocating.

2010-11 Season: National Youth League & U17 World Cup

At 15 years old, Chapman relocated from Sydney to undertake a two-year residential football scholarship at the A.I.S. in Canberra. During this period, he appeared in 32 matches across the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons of the A-League National Youth League, serving as captain in 23 games. He also led the Australian U17 side as captain during the 2011 U17 World Cup held in Mexico.

2011–12: National Youth League and Mid-Season A-League Contract

On 15 January 2012, Chapman transitioned from the A.I.S. to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Newcastle Jets. He made his professional debut in the A-League on 18 February 2012 at age 17, coming off the bench against Perth Glory. He appeared as a substitute once more in the final fixture of the 2011–12 season facing Sydney FC.

2012–13: A-League Campaign and U20 World Cup

During the 2012–13 A-League season, Chapman established himself within Newcastle Jets' first team, accumulating fifteen starts and two appearances as a substitute over twenty-seven matches. His involvement with Australia's U20 squad for the U20 World Cup impacted his availability for several club games.

2013 A-League All Stars

In July 2013, Chapman was chosen for the inaugural 2013 A-League All Stars Game, which showcased twenty elite A-League players competing against Manchester United at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. At eighteen years old, he was the squad’s youngest participant and entered play in the 84th minute under coach Ange Postecoglou. The match featured prominent Manchester United players such as Robin van Persie, Ryan Giggs, and Rio Ferdinand, drawing an audience exceeding 83,000 fans.

2013–14: A-League and Under-23 National Squad

Chapman commenced the 2013–14 A-League campaign with Newcastle Jets by starting in the opening six fixtures before an ankle injury forced him out. At that time, the Jets held second place on the points table and ranked third based on goal difference. Despite this setback, Chapman secured a contract renewal for an additional year with Newcastle Jets, despite interest from other clubs within the A-League.

In January 2014, he was chosen to represent the Australian U23 squad at the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship held in Oman. His participation in national duties resulted in missing several Newcastle Jets matches during that month. Meanwhile, Newcastle Jets replaced Head Coach Gary van Egmond with interim manager Clayton Zane. Throughout the 2013–14 season, Chapman featured in 19 games across both the A-League and NYL teams, experiencing only a single defeat during his appearances.

On 9 May 2014, Chapman and Newcastle Jets mutually agreed to terminate his contract amid speculation about his forthcoming move to Melbourne Heart.

Melbourne City

On 20 May 2014, Chapman signed a two-year deal with Melbourne Heart, becoming one of the initial players acquired under the new ownership of the City Football Group.

2014–15: A-League

Shortly after joining Melbourne City, Chapman was diagnosed with glandular fever, which caused him to miss the entire pre-season and the first eight games of the 2014–15 A-League season. Despite this health challenge, he returned to deliver strong performances, earning a nomination for the NAB Young Footballer of the Year award in February 2015.

2015–16: A-League

Chapman began the 2015–16 season as a consistent starter but suffered a medial cruciate ligament injury in December 2015 during a match against Newcastle Jets. This injury sidelined him until near the conclusion of the season.

2016–17: FFA Cup Triumph and Transfer Developments

Playing a pivotal role in Melbourne City's 2016 FFA Cup success, Chapman maintained an unbeaten record in matches he participated in throughout both the cup competition and the 2016–17 A-League season. However, his opportunities in the starting lineup were limited early in that season. In January 2017, following negotiations, Melbourne City accepted a transfer offer from Incheon United.

2017 Season: K League 1

Chapman’s move to South Korea’s K League 1 side Incheon United was completed in January 2017 ahead of the 2017 K League Classic campaign.

2018 Season: K League 1

In January 2018, Chapman inked a contract with Pohang Steelers ahead of the 2018 K League 1 season. After Pohang secured fourth place, he extended his contract for two more years through to 2020.

Early in 2019, Korean media outlets reported that Chapman was pursuing a transfer to Europe and alleged he had contracted a brain parasite infection; Chapman refuted these claims. Following a bout of stomach illness during pre-season and disputes regarding his recovery process, Pohang decided to terminate his contract after prolonged discussions.

Western United

Chapman committed to the newly established A-League club Western United on 7 March 2019.

Daejeon Hana Citizen

On 4 January 2020, Chapman signed with Daejeon Hana Citizen. His contract was ended on 24 February 2021.

FC Seoul

Chapman moved to FC Seoul on 12 July 2021 via a free transfer, agreeing to an 18-month deal.

Brisbane Roar

Returning to Australia, Chapman inked an 18-month contract with Brisbane Roar on 11 February 2022. He made his first starting appearance on 3 May 2022 facing Central Coast Mariners. Chapman left the club on 7 February 2023, a period during which Brisbane Roar reached the semifinals of the Australia Cup for the first time in their history.

Melbourne Victory

On 7 February 2023, Melbourne Victory confirmed Chapman's signing, securing his services through the conclusion of the 2023–24 season.

International career

Chapman has represented Australia across the U17, U20, and U23 levels. He started in every match at both the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup and 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. As captain of the U17 squad during the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship and the subsequent 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, he led Australia past a group including Ivory Coast, Brazil, and Denmark before being eliminated by Uzbekistan. The FIFA Technical Study Group highlighted him as one of Australia's most impressive players.

At the U20 tier, Chapman was a member of the undefeated team during the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualification and participated in the 2013 AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualification, helping secure a spot in the finals. He contributed to Australia's advancement to the semi-finals of the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship, which qualified them for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Although Australia exited at the group stage in that tournament, their dynamic style received commendations, with Chapman recognized as a key contributor.

In December 2013, Chapman was selected for the Australian U23 squad competing in the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship held in Oman. Acting as vice-captain, he captained the side in their opening fixture against Kuwait. Despite finishing top of their group, Australia was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Saudi Arabia.

Club

Club	Season	League			Cup		Asia		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Newcastle Jets	2011–12	A-League	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	2012–13		17	0	0	0	—		—		17	0
	2013–14		6	0	0	0	—		—		6	0
	Total		25	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	25	0
Melbourne City	2014–15	A-League	16	0	0	0	—		—		16	0
	2015–16		14	1	3	0	—		—		17	1
	2016–17		5	0	3	0	—		—		8	0
	Total		35	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	41	1
Incheon United	2017	K League 1	27	2	1	0	—		—		28	2
Pohang Steelers	2018		33	0	0	0	—		—		33	0
Western United	2019–20	A-League	8	0	0	0	—		—		8	0
Daejeon Hana Citizen	2020	K League 2	15	0	1	0	—		1	0	17	0
FC Seoul	2021	K League 1	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
Brisbane Roar	2021–22	A-League	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
	2022–23		13	1	5	0	colspan="2"|-	18	1
	Total		17	1	5	0	0	0	—	—	22	1
Melbourne Victory	2022-23	A-League	12	—	—	—	—	—	12	—
	2023-24		7	—	—	—	—	—	7	—
	Total	19	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	19	—
Career Total			181	4	12	0	0	0	1	—	193	4

Honours

Individual

• Selected for the 2013 A-League All Stars squad
• Shortlisted for the NAB Young Footballer of the Year in February 2015

Club

• Winner of the 2016 Westfield FFA Cup