Michael Theo
Michael Theo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Theoklitos February 11, 1981 Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Soccer player, Goalkeeping coach |
| Years active | 2000–2018 (player) |
| Known for | Goalkeeper for Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar; Goalkeeping coach for Western United FC |
Michael Theo (born Theoklitos on 11 February 1981) is an Australian goalkeeper who currently serves as the goalkeeping coach for the A-League team Western United FC.
Early career
Theoklitos commenced his football development with the junior squad of the now-defunct East Richmond Jaguars. His semi-professional career began in the Victorian Premier League (VPL) playing for Bulleen Zebras. He subsequently moved to South Melbourne FC, where he found it challenging to replace first-choice goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, making only five appearances before transferring to Football Kingz FC for the 2001–2002 season. At Kingz, he earned strong support from fans, featuring in 20 matches in the National Soccer League. In 2002, he signed with Blackpool FC, but injuries restricted him to three outings, with just two full matches played. Returning to Australia, he rejoined Bulleen and notably saved three penalties during the 2004 VPL final, securing a championship for the club.
Melbourne Victory
He became part of Melbourne Victory FC during their inaugural A-League season in 2005/06. In the 2006/07 season, Theoklitos achieved ten clean sheets across 21 games, drawing interest from both Australian and Greek national team selectors, although he did not receive senior international caps. Throughout the 2008/09 campaign, he played a key role in Melbourne Victory’s grand final triumph, keeping five clean sheets in the closing stages of the season. He was also called up to the national squad for a March 2009 fixture against Kuwait but did not take the field.
In May 2009, Theoklitos opted not to renew his contract and confirmed his exit from Melbourne Victory by July. He then secured a two-year deal with English League One club Norwich City.
Norwich City
Theoklitos made his debut for Norwich on 8 August 2009 facing Colchester United at Carrow Road, conceding seven goals in what he later described as "the worst performance" of his career. Despite backing from manager Bryan Gunn, Gunn was replaced by Paul Lambert, under whom Theoklitos was relegated to third-choice goalkeeper.
He was called up to the bench for a Football League Trophy match versus Gillingham, but reportedly failed to arrive punctually, resulting in disciplinary measures; Theoklitos explained he was only thirty minutes late due to a misunderstanding about scheduling.
By December 2009, Lambert anticipated Theoklitos’ departure from the club; their contract was mutually ended in March 2010. His debut appearance remained his only outing for Norwich City.
Brisbane Roar
On 14 March 2010, Theoklitos agreed to a three-year contract with Brisbane Roar. He made his debut in round one of the A league season against Gold Coast United, achieving a goalless draw. In round two, he secured another clean sheet against Sydney FC.
After a 3–0 defeat by Melbourne Victory, Theoklitos had extended his streak to 876 minutes without conceding, setting a new record in the Australian League and surpassing the previous mark of 790 minutes held by Jeff Olver. He was honored as Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2010/11 A-League season.
Prior to the start of the 2014/15 season, Theo sustained a wrist injury during pre-season activities that sidelined him for half of that campaign. He returned following the January Asian Cup break with a narrow 3–2 home victory over Wellington Phoenix, conceding a goal attributed to Kenny Cunningham. He participated in three additional matches that season, including one clean sheet versus Central Coast Mariners, before suffering a quadriceps muscle injury.
On 27 March 2018, it was announced that Theo’s contract with Brisbane Roar would not be extended beyond the conclusion of the 2017–18 A-League season.
Career statistics
CS = Clean Sheets
| Club | Season | Division | League1 | Cup | International2 | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | CS | Appearances | CS | Appearances | CS | Appearances | CS | |||
| Bulleen Zebras | 2000 | Victorian Premier League | 1 | ? | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | ? |
| 2001 | 24 | ? | 0 | 0 | - | - | 24 | ? | ||
| 2004 | 19 | ? | 0 | 0 | - | - | 19 | ? | ||
| Aggregate | 44 | ? | 0 | 0 | - | - | 44 | ? | ||
| South Melbourne | 2000–01 | National Soccer League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Aggregate | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Football Kingz | 2001–02 | National Soccer League | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 |
| Aggregate | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | ||
| Blackpool | 2002–03 | Division Two | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 |
| Aggregate | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2005–06 | A-League | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 12 | 2 |
| 2006–07 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 22 | 11 | ||
| 2007–08 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 7 | ||
| 2008–09 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 3 | - | - | 25 | 13 | ||
| Aggregate | 71 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 88 | 33 | ||
| Norwich City | 2009–10 | Football League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| Aggregate | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Brisbane Roar | 2010–11 | A-League | 33 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 33 | 12 |
| 2011–12 | 29 | 8 | - | - | 6 | 0 | 35 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | 29 | 8 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 30 | 9 | ||
| 2013–14 | 21 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 21 | 5 | ||
| 2014–15 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 1 | ||
| Aggregate | 112 | 33 | - | - | 7 | 1 !119 | 34 | |||
| Career Aggregate | 255 | 66 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 2 !279 | 73 | |||
1 – statistics include A-League finals series matches
2 – AFC Champions League data counted for seasons concluding during group stages
Personal life
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Theoklitos is of Greek heritage.
In 2010, he established the Michael Theo Soccer Academy, which conducts yearly training clinics during the July school vacation period.
He wed Victoria Curtis in April 2011; however, the couple parted ways in 2019.
On 1 August 2012, he legally adopted the name Michael Theo through a deed poll, explaining that this change reflected the name by which he was widely recognized within football communities.
Honours
Information accurate as of 15 March 2017
Achievements with Melbourne Victory:
- A-League Championship titles (2): 2006–2007, 2008–2009
- A-League Premiership titles (2): 2006–2007, 2008–2009
Achievements with Brisbane Roar:
- A-League Premiership titles (2): 2010–2011, 2013–2014
- A-League Championship titles (3): 2010–2011, 2011–2012, 2013–2014
Individual accolades:
- Awarded A-League Goalkeeper of the Year three times: 2006–2007, 2007–2008, and 2010–2011
- Holds the Australian League record for longest duration without conceding a goal in a season (876 minutes with Brisbane Roar in 2010–11)
- Ranks third for the highest number of clean sheets (68) in A-League history
- Selected to participate in the A-League All Stars Game in 2013