Harry Van Der Saag

Harry Van der Saag
Born	(1999-10-29) October 29, 1999 Wahroonga, Australia
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	2019–
Known for	Playing as a right-back and right winger for Manly United

Harry Eric Van der Saag (born 29 October 1999) is an Australian professional footballer who operates primarily as a right-back and right winger for Manly United in the NPL NSW competition.

Early life

Van der Saag was born on 29 October 1999 in Wahroonga and grew up in Narrabeen. Initially, he pursued rugby league before switching his focus to football at the age of 12. Alongside football, he also participated in surfing and golf during his youth. His early football development started with the Collaroy Cromer Strikers junior club. He has mentioned Michael Jordan as a key influence on his drive and mental approach to sport.

Sydney FC

Van der Saag’s football journey began with Manly United before he progressed to the Sydney FC Academy at 16 years old. He made an unofficial debut on 30 July 2019 during a friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain, where he was assigned to mark star player Kylian Mbappé. The match ended in a 3–0 defeat for Sydney FC.

His competitive debut occurred on 14 December 2019 when he came off the bench in a 1–0 league victory over the Central Coast Mariners. Van der Saag earned his first start on 4 January 2020 in a 2–1 win against Adelaide United at Jubilee Stadium. Shortly afterward, he secured his initial professional contract with Sydney FC, signing a two-year deal. On 23 February 2020, he netted his first league goal and provided an assist to Marco Tilio in a comprehensive 3–0 triumph over the Mariners.

During that season, Van der Saag was part of the Sydney FC squad that captured the A-League Premiership and was an unused substitute when the club achieved its fifth Championship title by defeating Melbourne City in the 2020 A-League Grand Final. He departed Sydney FC in May 2022 as part of a squad restructuring, having accumulated 35 league appearances and scored twice for the team.

Adelaide United

In June 2022, Van der Saag committed to a two-year deal with Adelaide United. He made his first appearance on 9 October 2022 in a match that ended 0–0 against Wellington Phoenix. His inaugural goal for the club came two weeks afterward during a 2–2 draw against his former team Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium. Unfortunately, in late November, he sustained a tear to his right medial meniscus during training, which required surgery in December 2022. Following the operation, he underwent an extended rehabilitation period. Despite efforts to reclaim his position after recovering, he was unable to secure regular playing time and was subsequently released when his contract concluded.

International career

Van der Saag received a call-up to the Australia U-23 squad in November 2019 for a trio of friendly matches held in Chongqing, China. The Australian team emerged victorious in all three games, capturing the Dazu Cup.

Style of play

While Van der Saag primarily operates as a right-back, he is also capable of fulfilling roles as either a defensive or an advanced midfielder. Sydney FC’s coach, Steve Corica, compared him to a "younger" version of Rhyan Grant due to his adaptability and strong work ethic. During his tenure at Adelaide United, he was frequently positioned as an attacking wing-back, utilizing his stamina to contribute effectively to both defensive duties and offensive support.

Career statistics

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sydney FC	2019–20	A-League	12	1	0	0	4	0	16	1
	2020–21	A-League	12	1	0	0	0	0	12	1
	2021–22	A-League Men	11	0	4	1	4	0	19	1
	Total		35	2	4	1	8	0	47	3
Adelaide United	2022–23	A-League Men	6	1	3	0	0	0	9	1
	2023–24	A-League Men	10	1	0	0	0	0	10	1
	Total		16	2	3	0	0	0	19	2
Brisbane Roar	2024–25	A-League Men	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
Career total			52	4	8	1	8	0	68	5

Club

Sydney FC

• A-League Championship: 2019–20
• A-League Premiership: 2019–20