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Tarek Elrich

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Tarek Elrich
Born (1987-01-01) January 1, 1987 (age 39)
Auburn, Sydney, Australia
OccupationProfessional footballer
Years active2005–present
Known forPlaying as right-back or midfielder for multiple A-League clubs and Australia national team

Tarek Elrich (born 1 January 1987) is an Australian professional footballer who operates primarily as a right-back or midfielder and currently represents Parramatta FC competing in NSW League Two.

Elrich launched his senior playing career with Sydney Olympic before moving to Newcastle Jets in 2006. He later joined the inaugural squad of Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012, subsequently transferring to Adelaide United the following year.

On the international stage, Elrich has played for Australia's youth teams and received a call-up from Lebanon in 2012; however, he was ruled ineligible because of his prior involvement as an unused substitute for Australia's national team during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He eventually made his senior debut for Australia in early 2015.

Early life

Raised in Auburn, Sydney, Elrich is of Lebanese heritage. His brother, Ahmad, is also an international football player. Tarek attended Granville Boys High School during his formative years.

Early career

Elrich developed his football skills within youth setups including Parramatta Eagles competing in the NSW Premier Youth League and Sydney Olympic participating in the NSW Premier League.

Newcastle Jets

Elrich made his A-League debut in the 2005–06 season, appearing three times in league matches. The following season, 2006–07, he featured in five games as Newcastle secured third place. His first A-League goal came during the 2007–08 season when he scored in the 111th minute of Newcastle’s 3–2 extra-time victory over Queensland Roar on 17 February 2008, a match that served as the preliminary final. Newcastle went on to defeat Central Coast Mariners 1–0 in the grand final, earning qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League. That season also saw Elrich face off against his brother Ahmad when Newcastle defeated Wellington Phoenix 2–1 at home on 14 October 2007.

In the 2008–09 season, Elrich opened his scoring account with a goal in a 2–2 draw at home against Wellington Phoenix on 6 October 2008 and added another goal during a 2–2 away draw versus Perth Glory on 9 November 2008. His consistent performances attracted attention from national team coach Pim Verbeek, who selected him for a match during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign in January 2009. Elrich made his debut in the AFC Champions League on 10 March with a 2–0 loss to Beijing Guoan, and netted his first goal in the competition during a 1–1 draw against Nagoya Grampus on 7 April. He participated in all group stage matches as Newcastle finished second and progressed to the knockout rounds, where they were eliminated after a heavy 6–0 defeat by Pohang Steelers on 24 June.

During the 2009–10 season, Elrich played in 29 league fixtures and received his first red card following a 2–1 loss to Sydney on 20 September 2009. In the 2011–12 season, he was shown a second red card during a 2–1 defeat to Melbourne Victory on 7 January 2012. More than a month later, on 24 February, he scored the decisive goal securing a 1–0 home victory over Adelaide United. Newcastle concluded that season seventh with a total of 35 points. At season’s end, both Perth Glory and Sydney expressed interest in signing him after Newcastle opted not to renew his contract.

Western Sydney Wanderers

Elrich joined Western Sydney Wanderers on 25 June 2012 for the 2012–13 season, becoming one of the club's inaugural signings alongside Aaron Mooy and Kwabena Appiah-Kubi. He was released at the conclusion of the 2012–13 A-League season together with teammates Dino Kresinger, Joey Gibbs, and Rocky Visconte.

Adelaide United

Following a modest stint with the Wanderers, Elrich signed with Adelaide United for the 2013–14 season. During his time there, he secured his first major trophy as part of the squad that won the 2014 FFA Cup.

During the 2014–15 A-League campaign, Elrich scored an impressive solo effort against Melbourne City in a 4–1 victory, a goal that received acclaim from analysts as worthy of a Puskas award. His excellent displays at right-back earned him selection in the 2014–2015 PFA Team of the Year.

Acknowledging his strong form, Adelaide United extended Elrich’s contract by two years on 29 September 2015, keeping him at the club through to the end of the 2017–18 A-League season.

Return to Western Sydney Wanderers

After five seasons with Adelaide United, Elrich rejoined Western Sydney Wanderers on 9 May 2018, signing a contract for two years. The club announced his departure on 24 January 2020, with his last appearance coming against Perth Glory.

Perth Glory

Elrich signed an 18-month deal with Perth Glory before the closure of the January transfer window, participating in 10 A-League matches. His tenure concluded following a 2–0 defeat in the finals semi-final versus Sydney FC. Prior to the start of the 2020–21 A-League season, he and Perth Glory mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Mt Druitt Town Rangers

In January 2021, Elrich committed to playing with Mt Druitt Town Rangers competing in the National Premier Leagues NSW.

Parramatta FC

Elrich was appointed Head of Football at Parramatta FC in January 2024.

Australia U20

Elrich made his debut for the Australia U20 side on 22 February 2006 during a 3–0 victory over Turkmenistan in the 2006 AFC Youth Championship qualification. Australia finished top of their group and secured qualification for the 2006 AFC Youth Championship. Subsequently, he was included in a 20-player squad that toured South America in August 2006, facing teams such as Colo-Colo U20, Universidad de Chile U20, Chile U20, and Argentina U20. This tour served as preparation for the upcoming 2006 AFC Youth Championship, which acted as qualification for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Australia

Elrich received a call-up to represent the Australia national team during a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification fixture against Indonesia. Although assigned jersey number #69, he remained an unused substitute in the goalless draw held in Jakarta on 28 January 2009.

Lebanon

After accepting an invitation from the Lebanese Football Federation, Elrich made his debut for the Lebanon national football team in an unofficial friendly against Lebanese Premier League side Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli Aley on 20 April 2012. This match was part of Lebanon’s preparation ahead of a friendly against Jordan on 17 May, leading up to their participation in the AFC fourth round qualifiers. Elrich became only the third Australian-born player to represent Lebanon internationally, following in the footsteps of Michael Reda and Buddy Farah. Nevertheless, he was not selected by coach Theo Bucker for subsequent World Cup qualifying fixtures.

In September 2012, FIFA determined Elrich was not eligible to play for Lebanon due to his earlier call-up by Australia in 2009. However, this decision was overturned in 2013 after it was clarified that he had never actually appeared in that Australia match nor been recalled thereafter, permitting him to represent Lebanon.

Australia

After an impressive stint with Adelaide United, Tarek received a call-up to the Australia national team for friendly matches against Germany and Macedonia. He earned his first senior cap on 30 March 2015, starting in the friendly held in Skopje versus Macedonia.

Honours

Newcastle Jets

Western Sydney Wanderers

Adelaide United

Australia

Individual

External links

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