Craig Goodwin
Craig Goodwin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Craig Alexander Goodwin December 16, 1991 Australia |
| Occupation | Professional soccer player |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Left winger for Adelaide United and the Australian national team |
Craig Alexander Goodwin (born 16 December 1991) is a professional soccer player from Australia who operates primarily as a left winger for both Adelaide United and the Australian national team. Celebrated for his quickness, precise crossing, and accurate shooting, Goodwin holds the record as Adelaide United's top goalscorer and is widely considered one of the club’s most distinguished players.
Early years
Goodwin’s football journey started at the amateur level with Munno Para City Football Club before he progressed to Adelaide Raiders competing in the South Australian Super League. After not securing a spot through Adelaide United's youth trials, he relocated to Melbourne to join Oakleigh Cannons in the Victorian Premier League.
Melbourne Heart
On 2 September 2011, Goodwin was signed to Melbourne Heart’s youth squad competing in the National Youth League. He made his senior team debut in the 2011–12 A-League season, notably earning man of the match honors during a round 19 clash against Melbourne Victory.
Newcastle Jets
Goodwin committed to a two-year contract with A-League side Newcastle Jets on 7 May 2012. Renowned for his goal-scoring ability and precise crossing, he provided key support to forwards Emile Heskey and Ryan Griffiths. He netted his first A-League goal on 13 October 2012 against Sydney FC, securing a 3–2 victory. His consistent displays led to a nomination for NAB Young Footballer of the Year in October. On 8 April 2013, Goodwin undertook a two-week trial with English Premier League club Reading.
Adelaide United
Goodwin returned to his hometown by signing with Adelaide United on 7 September 2014, marking the end of his two-year spell at Newcastle Jets.
Sparta Rotterdam
Following Adelaide United’s A-League Championship triumph over Western Sydney Wanderers, Goodwin joined Dutch outfit Sparta Rotterdam on 5 May 2016. He made his debut on 7 August 2016 against Ajax, coming on as a substitute for Iván Calero in the 68th minute. A week later, he scored his inaugural goal for Sparta during a commanding 3–0 victory over PEC Zwolle. Due to limited opportunities, Goodwin and Sparta mutually agreed to end his contract prematurely on 1 May 2018.
Return to Adelaide United
Goodwin re-signed with Adelaide United on a three-year deal beginning 25 May 2018. On 30 October 2018, he scored both goals in the FFA Cup Final against Sydney FC, securing the win and earning the Mark Viduka Medal, becoming the first Australian recipient of this accolade.
Al-Wehda
On 15 July 2019, Saudi Professional League club Al-Wehda activated Goodwin’s release clause for an estimated $450,000. Two days later, he signed a two-year contract with Al-Wehda. After a change in management at the club, Goodwin extended his contract by one year but was immediately loaned out to Abha. Due to challenges settling into the new city, he mutually ended the loan and returned on loan to Adelaide United in February 2021 until the conclusion of the 2020–21 A-League season. This loan arrangement was subsequently prolonged through the 2021–22 A-League campaign.
Second stint at Adelaide United
Following two seasons spent on loan, Goodwin recommitted to Adelaide United in July 2022 by signing a three-year deal. While still on loan in April 2022, he became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, eclipsing the previous record of 44 goals held by former teammate Bruce Djite after scoring twice against Sydney FC. In June 2023, Goodwin earned the prestigious Johnny Warren Medal as the standout player of the 2022-23 season, becoming only the second player from Adelaide to receive this honor since Marcos Flores in 2011. He was also unique in the league for achieving double figures in both goals and assists, recording 12 goals and 10 assists over 25 matches.
On 8 September 2023, Goodwin announced his decision to depart Adelaide United and return to the Saudi Pro League, describing the choice as "extremely difficult." He exited as Adelaide’s all-time highest scorer with a total of 60 goals across all competitions, including 53 goals in league play.
Return to Al-Wehda
After parting ways with Adelaide United, Goodwin signed again with Al-Wehda on a contract extending through 2025. He quickly made his mark in the Saudi Pro League during the 2023–24 season by scoring in each of his first three games, highlighted by a two-goal performance against Al-Ettifaq. An injury forced him out for the final month of the campaign as Al-Wehda concluded the season in 13th place.
In the opening match of the 2024–25 season, Goodwin delivered two goals and one assist against Al-Riyadh. A standout moment occurred in January 2025 when he converted a free-kick against Saudi giants Al-Hilal during a 4–1 loss.
International career
Goodwin made his international debut for the Socceroos on 26 July 2013 at the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup. His first goal for Australia came in January 2022 during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round, contributing to a 4–0 victory over Vietnam.
He was selected for Australia's squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and scored Australia's first goal from open play at a World Cup since 2014 during a group stage defeat to France. In the Round of 16, his deflected shot narrowed the margin against eventual champions Argentina.
Goodwin was named in the squad for the postponed 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar. Although minor injuries limited his starts, he made significant contributions off the bench, scoring and assisting in the Round of 16 win over Indonesia. He opened the scoring in the quarter-final clash against South Korea, but Australia was eliminated after extra time. His two goals tied him as one of Australia's top scorers and earned him a place in the tournament's Team of the Tournament.
During March 2024 World Cup qualifiers (AFC qualification), Goodwin recorded his first international brace against Lebanon in Canberra and later scored from distance against China before a home crowd at Adelaide Oval.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Continental | Overall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| Melbourne Heart | 2011–12 | A-League | 4 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | ||
| Newcastle Jets | 2012–13 | A-League | 25 | 3 | – | – | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 | 2 | |||
| Total | 44 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 45 | 5 | |||
| Adelaide United | 2014–15 | A-League | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 6 | |
| 2015–16 | 26 | 4 | – | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 27 | 4 | |||
| Total | 54 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 10 | ||
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | – | 30 | 4 | |
| 2017–18 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 2 | |||
| Total | 47 | 6 | 4 | 0 | – | 51 | 6 | |||
| Adelaide United | 2018–19 | A-League | 29 | 10 | 4 | 5 | – | 33 | 15 | |
| Al-Wehda | 2019–20 | Saudi Pro League | 29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | – | 32 | 4 | |
| Abha (loan) | 2020–21 | Saudi Pro League | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 18 | 2 | |
| Adelaide United (loan) | 2020–21 | A-League | 18 | 8 | – | – | 18 | 8 | ||
| Adelaide United | 2021–22 | A-League | 27 | 8 | – | – | 27 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 1 | – | 30 | 16 | |||
| Total | 55 | 23 | 2 | 1 | – | 57 | 24 | |||
| Al-Wehda | 2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 22 | 6 | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 6 | |
| 2024–25 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 0 | – | 30 | 6 | |||
| Total | 37 | 11 | 4 | 0 | – | 41 | 11 | |||
International
| National team | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia men's national soccer team | 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 7 | |
Honours
Adelaide United
Individual Achievements
- Leading goal scorer in Adelaide United’s history
- Selected for the PFA A-League Team of the Season in both 2021–22 and 2022–23
- Recipient of the Adelaide United Aurelio Vidmar Medal (Player of the Year) for 2015–16, 2021–22, and 2022–23 seasons
- Winner of the Johnny Warren Medal in 2022–23
- Awarded the Mark Viduka Medal in 2018
- Selected as an A-Leagues All Star in 2022
- Named to the AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament in 2023
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Scoreline | Outcome | Competition |
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