Jump to content

Jamie Maclaren

From Alfawiki
Jamie Maclaren
Born (1993-07-29) July 29, 1993 (age 33)
Melbourne, Australia
OccupationProfessional soccer player
Years active2009–present
Known forAustralian international soccer forward; A-League all-time leading goal scorer; five-time A-League Golden Boot winner

Jamie Maclaren (born 29 July 1993) is a professional Australian soccer forward currently playing for the Indian Super League team Mohun Bagan and representing the Australia national team. His previous clubs include Melbourne City, SV Darmstadt, Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar, and Hibernian. Initially, Maclaren played for the Scotland youth squad before switching allegiance to Australia at both youth and senior levels.

Maclaren has claimed the A-League Golden Boot award five times as the league's top scorer during the 2016–17 (19 goals), 2019–20 (22 goals), 2020–21 (25 goals), 2021–22 (15 goals), and 2022–23 (24 goals) campaigns. With a total of 154 goals across three teams, he holds the record as the A-League’s leading all-time goal scorer, Melbourne City's highest scorer ever, and ranks third in scoring for Brisbane Roar.

Early development

Raised in Melbourne’s north-west suburbs, Maclaren began playing with local junior club Sunbury United at around four or five years old. In 2003, he advanced to Victorian Premier League side Green Gully, where he successfully competed against older players and contributed to the team achieving an approximate 50-game winning streak.

Blackburn Rovers

At age 15, Maclaren trialed with the under-16 squad of Blackburn Rovers in July 2009. His performance, including scoring multiple goals and a hat-trick versus Manchester United, earned him a contract offer. Guided by fellow Australians Vince Grella and Brett Emerton, he became a regular member of the under-21 squad and trained alongside the senior team. After four seasons without breaking into the first team, Blackburn released him following the conclusion of the 2012–13 season.

Perth Glory

In pursuit of regular first-team football, Maclaren signed a three-year deal with A-League side Perth Glory ahead of the 2013–14 season. He made his debut in a 3–1 defeat against Adelaide United and netted his inaugural goal shortly thereafter in a 1–0 victory over Melbourne City. The 2014–15 season marked his emergence as a key player, scoring 10 goals in 23 appearances and earning an April nomination for the league’s young player award. Additionally, he excelled in the National Premier Leagues by scoring 11 goals over five matches. On 19 April 2015, Maclaren achieved his first senior-level hat-trick during a 3–1 win against Melbourne City.

Following the salary cap controversy at Perth Glory, all players wishing to depart were released except Maclaren. He subsequently filed an official breach-of-contract complaint through Professional Footballers Australia and was officially released on 29 June 2015.

Brisbane Roar

On 5 July 2015, Maclaren signed a two-year contract with Brisbane Roar during the A-League offseason. He made his debut on 8 October 2015 against the Western Sydney Wanderers, scoring twice in that match. During that season, Maclaren reached his 50th A-League appearance while contributing both a goal and an assist against his former club Perth Glory. He recorded his second senior hat-trick on 12 March 2016 in a commanding 5–0 triumph over Melbourne Victory.

Maclaren concluded the 2015–16 regular season with 18 goals, finishing second in the Golden Boot standings behind Melbourne City's Uruguayan striker Bruno Fornaroli. This tally set a new record for most goals scored by an Australian player in A-League history. Including finals matches, he amassed 20 goals in 25 appearances and was honored as FFA Young Player of the Year.

During the 2016–17 A-League season, Maclaren scored 19 goals, sharing the Golden Boot accolade with fellow striker Besart Berisha.

Darmstadt 98

In May 2017, Maclaren committed to a three-year contract with the German 2. Bundesliga side Darmstadt 98. He made his first appearance as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against FC Kaiserslautern on 4 August.

Loans to Hibernian

To secure more playing minutes and enhance his prospects for Australia's 2018 FIFA World Cup squad, Maclaren was loaned to Scottish outfit Hibernian in January 2018. He marked his debut with a 1–0 victory over Dundee on 24 January and netted his initial goal from the penalty spot against Rangers on 3 February. Maclaren played a pivotal role, scoring crucial goals in the Edinburgh derby and delaying Celtic's championship celebrations by scoring in April. His season concluded with an impressive hat-trick during a thrilling 5–5 draw against Rangers.

Following this loan spell, Maclaren expressed a desire for Darmstadt to facilitate his transfer. On 3 August, he returned to Hibernian on another season-long loan, although this period was less fruitful, producing just one goal and limited starting appearances. Hibernian ended the loan agreement on 31 January 2019.

Melbourne City

On 31 January 2019, Maclaren signed a marquee contract with A-League club Melbourne City, extending through May 2022. He scored on his debut with an audacious backheel against Adelaide United on 9 February and secured the Golden Boot that season by scoring 22 goals, outpacing nearest competitor Adam Le Fondre by three.

On 6 March 2021, Maclaren both scored and provided two assists during Melbourne City's commanding 6–0 away triumph over rivals Melbourne Victory. On 17 April 2021, he made history as the first player to net five goals in a single A-League regular season match, contributing to a dominant 7–0 win. By 13 May 2021, he had become Melbourne City's top scorer with a tally of 58 goals, surpassing Bruno Fornaroli in a 4–1 victory over Adelaide United.

After spending five and a half seasons with the club, it was announced on 30 April 2024 that Maclaren would be leaving Melbourne City following the conclusion of the 2023–24 A-League season, just before the elimination final against Melbourne Victory. He featured in his final game during that elimination final, being substituted off in the 75th minute as Melbourne City fell 3–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

Mohun Bagan

In July 2024, Maclaren agreed to a two-year deal with Indian Super League team Mohun Bagan. He made his debut on 23 September as an 80th-minute substitute in a narrow 3–2 win over NorthEast United. Maclaren recorded his first goal for Mohun Bagan on 5 October by heading home the opener in the eighth minute during a convincing 3–0 victory against local rivals Mohammedan. On 19 October, he scored the opening goal in the intense Kolkata Derby clash against archrivals East Bengal.

Scotland

Maclaren's international journey began representing the Scotland under-19 side, qualifying through his father Donald. He earned two caps facing Denmark and Norway. Later, he switched allegiance to join the Australian under-20 squad and scored against Turkey during the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Australia

Maclaren became part of the Australian under-23 squad ("Olyroos") during the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification Group F fixtures held in Taiwan in March 2015, which also doubled as the Olympic qualifying tournament. He participated in two out of three matches, delivering a hat-trick against Hong Kong and netting two goals versus Myanmar, finishing as the second top scorer throughout the qualification phase within the AFC. Selected for Australia's lineup at the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship, Maclaren played full matches against the UAE, Vietnam, and Jordan, registering a goal against Vietnam.

Senior

In February 2016, Maclaren opted to represent Australia at senior level instead of Scotland, despite expressing pride in his earlier Scottish youth caps. He made his senior debut for the Socceroos in May 2016 during a friendly encounter with England, where he was in the starting eleven. After an impressive beginning to the 2016–17 A-League season, he earned a recall in November 2016 for Australia's World Cup qualifying clash against Thailand. He also featured in crucial final qualifiers in August and September 2017, including an important victory over Thailand.

Later in 2017, Maclaren withdrew from Australia's squad due to limited game time at Darmstadt. Aiming to increase his minutes on the pitch and enhance his World Cup prospects, he sought a loan move in January 2018. Although included in Australia's preliminary 32-man roster for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he did not make the final 26-man squad. However, following an injury to Tomi Juric, Maclaren returned to training and appeared in a warm-up friendly against Czech Republic. He was ultimately selected for the final 23-man World Cup squad.

Under coach Graham Arnold, Maclaren was chosen for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He came on as a substitute in the pre-tournament friendly against Oman and started all three group matches, scoring his inaugural international goal versus Palestine. He maintained his starting position through the knockout rounds, including the quarter-final against hosts UAE.

On 10 October 2019, Maclaren recorded his first international hat-trick during a commanding 5–0 triumph over Nepal in the World Cup qualifiers. On 16 November 2023, he achieved his second international hat-trick against Bangladesh during the World Cup qualification matches.

Personal life

Maclaren possesses a British passport and is of half-Maltese descent through his mother, which prompted an approach from Malta's national football team; however, he declined their offer. His father Donald, who is Scottish, had a short spell playing for Dunfermline Athletic before relocating to Australia. Additionally, his uncle Ross MacLaren competed professionally in England with Shrewsbury Town, Derby County, and Swindon Town. Maclaren is an avid supporter of Premier League side Aston Villa.

Club

Club appearances and goals by season and competition
Club Season League Domestic Cup League Cup Continental Other Competitions Overall
Division Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals
Perth Glory 2013–14 A-League 18 2 — — — — 18 2
2014–15 20 9 2 0 — — — 22 9
Total 38 11 2 0 — — — 40 11
Brisbane Roar 2015–16 A-League 25 20 1 0 — — — 26 20
2016–17 28 20 1 0 — 6 3 — 35 23
Total 53 40 2 0 — 6 3 — 61 43
Darmstadt 98 2017–18 2. Bundesliga 7 0 1 0 — — — 8 0
Hibernian (loan) 2017–18 Scottish Premiership 15 8 0 0 — — — 15 8
2018–19 12 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 — 15 1
Total 27 9 0 0 1 0 2 0 — 30 9
Melbourne City 2018–19 A-League Men 9 5 0 0 — — — 9 5
2019–20 25 23 5 6 colspan=4 colspan=4 30 29
2020–21 Melbourne City FC season 24 25 — — 24 25
2021–22 Melbourne City FC season 27 16 — 6 2 — 33 18
2022–23 Melbourne City FC season 29 24 2 0 — — 31 24
2023–24 Melbourne City FC season 28 10 3 3 — 6 1 — 37 14
Total !142 103 10 9 — 12 3 — 164 115
Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2024–25 Mohun Bagan Super Giant season Indian Super League 24 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 24 11
Career total !291 174 15 9 1 0 20 6 0 0 327 189

International

National team appearances and goals by year
National team Year Appearances Goals
Australia 2016 2 0
2017 3 0
2018 3 0
2019 7 5
2021 4 1
2022 10 2
2023 2 3
Total !32 !11
No. Date Venue Cap No. Opponent Score at time of goal Final score Competition
1 11 January 2019 Rashid Stadium, Dubai, UAE 10 Template:Fb\ 1–0 3–0 2019 AFC Asian Cup Group B
10 October 2019 Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia 14 Template:Fb\ 1–0 5–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round
3
4
5 15 October 2019 National Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 15 Template:Fb\ 6–1 7–1
6 7 June 2021 Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait 16 2–0 5–1
7 27 January 2022 Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia 20 Template:Fb\ 1–0 4–0
8 1 February 2022 Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman 21 Template:Fb\ 1–0 2–2

9 10 11

rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"| 16 November 2023

rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"| Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia

rowspan=3 align=center style="text-align:center;"| 30

rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"| Template:Fb\

5–0 6–0 7–0

rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"| 7–0

rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"| 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round


Honours

Melbourne City

Mohun Bagan

Individual Achievements

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Jamie_Maclaren&oldid=64422"