James Troisi
James Troisi | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 3, 1988 Rose Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Years active | 2007–2023 |
| Known for | Attacking midfielder and winger for clubs including Newcastle United, Gençlerbirliği, Melbourne Victory, Juventus, and the Australia national team |
James Troisi (; born 3 July 1988) is a retired Australian professional footballer who operated primarily as an attacking midfielder or winger during his career.
Early life
Born in Rose Park, a suburb situated in Adelaide, South Australia, Troisi comes from a family with Greek heritage and has an Italian stepfather.
He inked his first professional deal with Newcastle United on 10 January 2007, which lasted until June 2008. Although he never appeared in a first-team match, he was named on the bench for several Premier League and UEFA Cup fixtures.
Newcastle United
Throughout the 2007–08 Premier League campaign, Troisi remained on the periphery of Newcastle's senior squad, showcasing his abilities during pre-season friendlies, including delivering two assists in a match against Hartlepool United.
In January 2008, he underwent a trial with Dutch Eredivisie side Roda JC, who were interested in securing his services permanently. However, the transfer did not materialize due to Newcastle’s compensation demands for their under-23 academy graduate.
It was confirmed on 6 May 2008 that Troisi would depart Newcastle at the conclusion of that season.
Gençlerbirliği
Troisi signed a three-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig outfit Gençlerbirliği in August 2008. He made his debut on 14 September 2008 against Eskisehirspor, coming off the bench in the 65th minute.
Kayserispor
On 24 January, Troisi achieved his first career hat-trick by scoring all three goals for Gençlerbirliği in a 3–1 triumph over mid-table side Kayserispor.
In July 2009, he committed to a four-year contract with Kayserispor.
Atalanta
On 22 August 2012, Juventus secured Troisi on a four-year contract; however, two days later, half of his registration rights were transferred to Atalanta for €2 million as part of the deal involving Manolo Gabbiadini.
In 2013, Norwich City manager Chris Hughton revealed that the club had expressed interest in acquiring Troisi.
Loan to Melbourne Victory
Troisi moved to Melbourne Victory on a one-year loan deal on 24 September 2013. He made his debut against Melbourne Heart in the opening match of the A-League’s ninth season. His inaugural goal for Melbourne came during a 2–2 draw with Adelaide United.
He netted his second goal to secure a 1–0 victory over Brisbane Roar on 25 October 2013, assisted by Archie Thompson. Additionally, he scored twice in a 3–2 win against Wellington Phoenix and converted a free kick in a narrow 2–3 defeat to Sydney FC.
Troisi ended that season with a tally of 12 goals in the A-League and added three more in the Asian Champions League.
Juventus
On 20 June 2014, Juventus acquired full ownership of Troisi’s contract from Atalanta for €1 million. Simultaneously, they transferred the remaining half of Prince-Désir Gouano’s registration rights to Atalanta for an identical fee.
Loan to Zulte Waregem
On 30 August 2014, Troisi moved to Belgian Pro League side S.V. Zulte Waregem on a one-year loan after Juventus deemed him surplus to requirements. During his stint, he participated in over twenty games and netted five goals, highlighted by an impressive long-range effort against Club Brugge KV, beating his Socceroos teammate goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
Loan to Ittihad
On 31 August 2015, Troisi was loaned out to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. His contract was cut short due to the club's delayed salary payments. Troisi successfully filed a claim with FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber, and subsequent appeals upheld Al-Ittihad's responsibility to settle the unpaid wages.
Liaoning Hongyun
Although A-League teams such as Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory showed interest, on 29 January 2016 Troisi inked a deal with Chinese Super League outfit Liaoning Whowin, joining fellow Australian Michael Thwaite. After six months into his 11-month contract, following the arrival of Dario Vidošić, Troisi was deemed surplus and subsequently departed the club.
Melbourne Victory
Following his release from Liaoning Whowin, Troisi returned to the A-League on 1 August 2016 by signing a one-year contract with Melbourne Victory. He extended his stay by re-signing for two additional years on 26 July 2017.
Adelaide United
Choosing not to renew with Melbourne Victory, Troisi signed a two-year contract with his hometown club Adelaide United on 5 October 2019. Prior to the 2020–21 A-League season, Adelaide initially permitted him to seek other opportunities but later reversed this decision, stating he was essential due to improved financial circumstances. Troisi contested this change and requested contract termination just two weeks before the season commenced. The contract was mutually ended in December 2020, allowing him to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Western Sydney Wanderers
After parting ways with Adelaide United, Troisi secured a two-year deal with Western Sydney Wanderers. Over his tenure, he made 43 appearances across all competitions before being released upon contract completion.
Western United
On 17 July 2022, Troisi signed a one-year contract with Western United. He featured in 18 matches before leaving at the end of his agreement.
U23
Following a strong performance during the 2006–07 season with Newcastle's reserves, Troisi made his debut for the Australia U23 ("Olyroos") on 18 April 2007 in an Olympic qualifying match against Saudi Arabia. He scored a vital goal against Iran in Adelaide.
Senior
Troisi made his senior debut for Australia on 22 March 2008 in a goalless friendly against Singapore, operating as a left midfielder.
Under coach Ange Postecoglou, Troisi was named in Australia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also featured in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup team, scoring late in Australia's opening 4–1 victory over Kuwait. In the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final versus South Korea, Troisi came off the bench and scored the decisive extra-time goal that secured Australia’s championship.
Troisi participated in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring against Chile and earning FIFA Man of the Match recognition.
In May 2018, he was included in Australia's preliminary 26-man squad for the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
Club
| Team | Season | League | League Matches | Domestic Cup | International Competitions | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | |||
| Gençlerbirliği | 2008–09 | Süper Lig | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 6 | |
| Kayserispor | 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Süper Lig | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Süper Lig | 26 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | 28 | 11 | ||
| Subtotal !64 | 10 | 3 | 1 | — | 67 | 11 | ||||
| Atalanta | 2012–13 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Melbourne Victory (loan) | 2013–14 | A-League | 29 | 12 | — | 6 | 3 | 35 | 15 | |
| Zulte Waregem (loan) | 2014–15 | Belgian Pro League | 21 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 5 | |
| Al-Ittihad | 2015–16 | Saudi Professional League | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | |
| Liaoning Whowin | 2016 | Chinese Super League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Melbourne Victory | 2016–17 | A-League | 26 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 28 | 7 | |
| 2017–18 | A-League | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 7 | |
| 2018–19 | A-League | 25 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 5 | |
| Subtotal !76 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 91 | 19 | |||
| Adelaide United | 2019–20 | A-League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2020–21 | A-League | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 4 | |
| 2021–22 | A-League Men | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | ||
| Subtotal !41 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 5 | |||
| Career totals !290 | 56 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 323 | 63 | |||
International
| National squad | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia men's national soccer team | 2008 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Aggregate | 37 | 5 | |
- Scores and results show Australia's goal count first.
| No | Date | Location | Opponent | Scoreline | Final result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 June 2011 | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia | Template:Fb | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly match |
| 2. | 9 January 2015 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | Template:Fb | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup Group A |
| 3. | 31 January 2015 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia | Template:Fb | 2–1 (after extra time) | 2–1 (after extra time) | 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final |
| 4. | 25 March 2015 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly match |
| 5. | 25 June 2017 | Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow, Russia | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Group B |
Honours
Melbourne Victory
- A-League Grand Final: Champions in 2018
Australia
- AFC Asian Cup: Winners of the 2015 tournament
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1988 births
- Australian men's soccer players
- Australian people of Greek descent
- Australia men's international soccer players
- Men's association football forwards
- Newcastle United F.C. players
- Gençlerbirliği S.K. footballers
- Kayserispor footballers
- Atalanta BC players
- Adelaide United FC players
- Melbourne Victory FC players
- Western Sydney Wanderers FC players
- Western United FC players
- SV Zulte Waregem players
- Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah) players
- Liaoning F.C. players
- Süper Lig players
- Serie A players
- A-League Men players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Saudi Pro League players
- Chinese Super League players
- Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic soccer players for Australia
- 2014 FIFA World Cup players
- 2015 AFC Asian Cup players
- 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- Australian expatriate men's soccer players
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in China
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in China
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Soccer players from Adelaide
- Living people
- AFC Asian Cup–winning players
- Marquee players (A-League Men)
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen
- A-League Men championship–winning players