Luke Brattan
Nathan Brattan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nathan Luke Brattan March 8, 1990 Hull, England |
| Occupation | Professional soccer player |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Defensive midfielder for Macarthur FC and the Australian national team |
Nathan Luke Brattan (born 8 March 1990) is a professional Australian soccer player who operates as a defensive midfielder for both Macarthur FC and the Australian national team.
Originally from England, Brattan relocated to Australia during infancy and advanced through the youth ranks of Rochedale Rovers and Queensland Lions. He made his professional debut with Brisbane Roar. Following multiple seasons there, he transferred in 2015 to Manchester City, spending the majority of his contract period on loan at their affiliate, Melbourne City.
Brattan has represented Australia at the under-20 level and has also been selected for the senior national squad.
Early life
Born in Hull, England, Brattan moved to Australia when he was six months old. His father, Gary Brattan, was a player for Hull City.
Brisbane Roar
At 19 years old, Brattan made his first appearance in Queensland Roar’s "Against Racism" fixture against Celtic in 2009, demonstrating early potential. His A-League debut occurred in December 2009 facing Perth Glory. Renowned for his passing abilities, he secured a starting position after recovering from injuries. On 22 March 2014, he netted the decisive goal against Melbourne Victory, clinching the Premiers Plate for Brisbane. That season, he earned a spot in the 2013–14 PFA A-League Team of the Season.
Prior to the 2015–16 season, Brattan departed Brisbane Roar amid disagreements concerning unpaid superannuation contributions.
Manchester City
Following his release, Brattan was linked with English Premier League side Manchester City. On 26 October 2015, he signed a four-year deal with Manchester City on a free transfer.
Bolton Wanderers loan
Immediately after signing, Brattan was loaned out to Bolton Wanderers in the Championship until January 2016. However, Manchester City recalled him two weeks early without him making any appearances for Bolton.
Melbourne City loan
In June 2016, Brattan commenced a one-year loan spell at Melbourne City. He made his debut in a 5–0 friendly victory over Port Melbourne SC on 20 July 2016. His loan was extended for an additional year on 1 August 2017 and again for a third consecutive season on 5 July 2018.
On 7 August 2018, during the First Round of the 2018 FFA Cup versus Brisbane Roar, Brattan sustained a severe head injury and potential spinal trauma following a collision with Stefan Mauk. The game was halted for 40 minutes awaiting specialist medical evacuation, leading to an extraordinary 45 minutes of stoppage time—one of the longest injury delays recorded in major football events.
Sydney FC
In July 2019, Brattan agreed to a one-year contract with Sydney FC. He registered his first goal for Sydney on 2 January 2021 against Wellington Phoenix.
On 8 August 2023, Sydney FC named Brattan as club captain, succeeding Alex Wilkinson, who retired after concluding the 2022–23 campaign.
Macarthur FC
For the 2024–25 campaign, Brattan transferred to Macarthur FC, the local competitors of Sydney.
International career
Brattan was part of Australia's under-20 team during 2008 and 2009.
Prior to a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against Bangladesh, coach Ange Postecoglou selected him as an injury substitute for captain Mile Jedinak.
On 6 October 2024, Socceroos manager Tony Popovic brought Brattan back into the squad to replace sidelined midfielders Massimo Luongo and Connor Metcalfe.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brisbane Roar | 2009–10 | A-League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2014–15 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 91 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 105 | 4 | ||
| Manchester City | 2015–16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2015–16 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Melbourne City (loan) | 2016–17 | A-League | 26 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 31 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2018–19 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 29!!4 | ||||
| Total | 79 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 7 | ||
| Sydney FC | 2019-20 | A-League | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2021-22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022-23 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2023-24 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | |||
| Total | 108 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 119 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 278 | 12 | 20 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 314 | 14 | ||
Honours
Brisbane Roar
- A-League Premiership titles: 2010–11 A-League, 2013–14 A-League
- A-League Championship victories: 2010–11 A-League, 2011–12 A-League, 2013–14 A-League
Melbourne City
- Winner of the FFA Cup in 2016 FFA Cup
Sydney
- Secured both the A-League Premiership and Championship in the 2019–20 A-League season
- Champions of the Australia Cup in 2023 Australia Cup
Macarthur FC
- Victorious in the Australia Cup during the 2024 Australia Cup
Individual
- Named in the PFA A-League Team of the Season for years: 2013–14, 2017–18, 2019–20, and 2020–21
- Awarded Sydney FC Player of the Season for the year 2019–20
- Selected for the A-Leagues All Star squad in 2024
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1990 births
- Living people
- English emigrants to Australia
- Footballers from Kingston upon Hull
- Australian men's soccer players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Brisbane Roar FC players
- Manchester City F.C. players
- Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
- Melbourne City FC players
- Sydney FC players
- Macarthur FC players
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- Australia men's youth international soccer players
- Australia men's under-20 international soccer players
- Australia men's international soccer players
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen
- A-League Men championship–winning players