Aaron Mooy facts for kids
Mooy lining up for Australia in 2018
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aaron Frank Mooy | ||
| Birth name | Aaron Frank Kuhlman | ||
| Date of birth | 15 September 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Carlingford Redbacks | |||
| 2005–2006 | NSWIS | ||
| 2006–2009 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2010 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | St Mirren | 21 | (1) |
| 2012–2014 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 49 | (4) |
| 2014–2016 | Melbourne City | 53 | (18) |
| 2016–2017 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Huddersfield Town (loan) | 45 | (4) |
| 2017–2020 | Huddersfield Town | 66 | (7) |
| 2019–2020 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2020 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 14 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Shanghai Port | 23 | (6) |
| 2022–2023 | Celtic | 29 | (4) |
| Total | 317 | (46) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006 | Australia U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Australia U20 | 10 | (4) |
| 2011–2012 | Australia U23 | 4 | (2) |
| 2012–2022 | Australia | 57 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Aaron Frank Mooy (born 15 September 1990) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played as a midfielder and is known as one of Australia's best midfielders. Many also consider him one of Huddersfield Town's greatest players in recent times.
Mooy won the PFA Footballer of the Year award three times in a row. He was also nominated for the 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year award. He was named in the A-League Men Team of the Season twice. He also made the PFA Team of the Year and EFL Team of the Season once. He was even voted into Australia's Team of the Century.
Born in Sydney, Mooy started his professional career with St Mirren in 2010. He then returned to Australia to play for Western Sydney Wanderers. With them, he won the A-League Premiers' title in their very first season.
After playing for Melbourne City, he joined Manchester City in 2016. Mooy was immediately loaned to Huddersfield Town. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League for the first time ever. He later signed a permanent deal with Huddersfield.
Mooy was then loaned to Brighton in 2020 and later signed with them permanently. In 2020, he moved to Chinese Super League team Shanghai Port. He joined Celtic in July 2022. He was a key player in their team, helping them win the Scottish Premiership, Scottish League Cup, and Scottish Cup. He retired from football in June 2023.
As an Australian international player, Mooy played 57 games and scored 7 goals for Australia. He played in two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022. His last game was against Argentina before he retired.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Aaron Frank Mooy was born on 15 September 1990 in Sydney, Australia. His mother changed his surname to Mooy after she divorced his father.
Growing up, Mooy loved watching Premier League matches, especially Manchester United. David Beckham was his favorite player. Aaron would watch Beckham's games and practice free kicks, pretending to be him.
One day, Mooy told his mother how much he enjoyed playing football with friends. She quickly signed him up for the Carlingford Redbacks club. His stepfather, Alan Todd, even coached his team.
Mooy played for several clubs like Carlingford Redbacks and Blacktown City. He also attended the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and Westfields Sports High School. He trained in the mornings and studied in the afternoons. At 15, Mooy left Australia to follow his dream of becoming a professional footballer in Europe.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Europe
Mooy began his career in Europe as a youth player at Bolton Wanderers. He joined Scottish Premier League club St Mirren on 23 October 2010. He played his first league game for them on the same day.
On 18 January 2011, he scored his first goal for St Mirren in a 6–1 win against Peterhead. He played 18 games and scored once in his first season. He then signed a new two-year contract with the club.
During the 2011–12 season, Mooy had a back injury. He worked hard to recover and returned to play on 17 December 2011. He scored his first league goal for St Mirren against Rangers on Christmas Eve 2011. Mooy left St Mirren in June 2012, having played 30 games for the club.
Western Sydney Wanderers Success
On 25 June 2012, Mooy joined Western Sydney Wanderers. He was one of the first players to sign for the club in their very first season in the A-League. He made his official debut on 6 October in a 0–0 draw.
On 23 February 2013, Mooy scored his first goal for the Wanderers. It was the winning goal in a 1–0 victory against Perth Glory. The Wanderers went on to win the Premiers' Plate that season.
Mooy played in the Grand Final, where his team lost to Central Coast Mariners. In January 2014, he scored in two games in a row against Perth Glory and Newcastle. He also scored his first AFC Champions League goal in a big 5–0 win. This helped his team qualify for the next round.
.jpg)
Two weeks later, Mooy played in his second Grand Final. His team lost 2–1 to Brisbane Roar. On 21 May, Mooy left the club.
Shining at Melbourne City
On the same day he left Western Sydney, Mooy signed a two-year contract with Melbourne City. He played his first game for them on 11 October 2014.
Mooy quickly became a key player. He was named Melbourne City's Player of the Month for October and November. On 7 December, he scored his first goal for the club from a penalty. He was named Man of the Match for his great performance.
In February, Mooy scored the winning goal against his old club, Western Sydney Wanderers. His coach, John van 't Schip, called him his "most important player." By the end of the season, Mooy won three awards for Melbourne City. He scored 7 goals and helped with 47% of the team's total goals.
On 11 August 2015, Mooy signed a new three-year deal with Melbourne City. He started the 2015–16 season by scoring a penalty in a 5–1 win. In the next round, he scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 5–0 victory.
Mooy had an amazing season with 11 goals and 21 assists in the league. This set a new record for the most assists in an A-League season. He was the first player in A-League history to get double-digit goals and assists in one season.
Moving to England: Huddersfield Town
Mooy signed a three-year deal with Manchester City on 30 June 2016. Six days later, he was loaned to Huddersfield Town for the 2016–17 season.
He played his first game for Huddersfield on 6 August. He scored his first goal for them on 10 September in a 1–0 win. Huddersfield Town fans voted Mooy as their best player of the season.
Mooy helped Huddersfield win the play-off final. He scored one of the penalties in the shootout, which meant Huddersfield got promoted to the Premier League. This was a first in the club's history!
On 15 June 2017, Huddersfield signed Mooy permanently from Manchester City. He made his Premier League debut for Huddersfield in their first game of the 2017–18 season. He scored his first Premier League goal a week later.
On 21 October 2017, Mooy scored the first goal as Huddersfield beat Manchester United 2–1. He helped Huddersfield stay in the Premier League that season.
In the 2018–19 season, Mooy scored two goals in a 2–0 win. However, he got a knee injury in December, which kept him out for two months. Huddersfield was later relegated from the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion and Shanghai Port
On 8 August 2019, Mooy joined Brighton & Hove Albion on a one-year loan from Huddersfield. He made his debut on 17 August. On 19 October, he was sent off for the first time in his club career.
On 9 December, Mooy assisted the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Arsenal. On 28 December, he scored his first goal for Brighton. In January 2020, Brighton signed Mooy permanently. He played 32 games in his first season for the team.
On 28 August 2020, Mooy signed with Chinese Super League team Shanghai Port. He scored the winning goal on his debut for Shanghai on 15 September. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mooy was later released from his contract in July 2022.
Joining Celtic and Retirement
On 19 July 2022, Mooy signed a two-year deal with Celtic in Scotland. He joined his former manager, Ange Postecoglou, there.
Mooy made his debut for Celtic on 31 July. He played his first Champions League game on 6 September. On 28 December, Mooy scored his first goals for Celtic, netting two goals in a 4–0 win.
He continued his great form, providing 6 goals and 6 assists by February 2023. On 26 February, Mooy helped Celtic win the League Cup final against Rangers. This was the team's first trophy of the season.
On 11 March, Mooy scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. He helped Celtic win the Scottish Premiership title on 7 May. This meant they achieved a double (winning two major trophies).
Mooy missed the Scottish Cup final due to back problems. However, Celtic went on to win the final, completing a historic domestic treble (winning three major trophies). On 30 June, Mooy announced his retirement from professional football.
International Career
Youth Teams and Senior Debut
Mooy could play for either Australia or the Netherlands because he has dual citizenship. He was first called up for the senior Australian team in August 2009.
He played for the Australia U20 team in the U-20 World Cup. He scored a goal against Brazil in the final group match.
In June 2011, Mooy was part of the Australia U23 squad. He helped them qualify for the group stage of the Olympic Games qualifiers. Australia did not qualify for the Olympics that year.
_(cropped).jpg)
On 7 December 2012, Mooy made his senior debut for Australia. He scored the first goal in a big 9–0 victory against Guam. Two days later, he scored his second goal for Australia.
World Cup Qualifiers and Appearances
Mooy was a key player in Australia's World Cup qualifiers. He scored a goal in Australia's 5–0 win over Bangladesh. He also provided three assists in a 4–0 victory against Bangladesh.
He continued to be a vital midfielder in the next stage of the qualifiers. Mooy helped Australia win 3–1 against Honduras in a play-off game. This secured their spot in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
On 16 June 2018, Mooy made his World Cup debut against France. He played an important role in midfield, helping create chances. Australia did not make it past the group stage in 2018.
Mooy missed the Asian Cup in January 2019 due to a knee injury. He returned to international play on 10 September, scoring two goals in a 3–0 win. This was Australia's first match of the 2022 World Cup qualifier.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mooy missed some important qualifier matches. He returned to play for Australia in August 2021.
Last World Cup and Retirement
In January 2022, Mooy was called up for the World Cup qualifiers again. On 1 February, he scored a goal for Australia in a 2–2 draw against Oman.
He made his 50th appearance for Australia on 1 June. He helped Australia win 2–1 against the United Arab Emirates in a crucial play-off game. In the final play-off against Peru, Mooy played the whole game. He scored a penalty in the shootout, which Australia won 5–4. This meant they qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
At the 2022 World Cup, Mooy started in Australia's first game against France. He played a key role in midfield in the next matches. His strong performance helped Australia win 1–0 against Tunisia and 1–0 against Denmark. These wins helped Australia reach the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006.
Australia lost 2–1 to Argentina in the Round of 16, ending their World Cup journey. Mooy missed some later friendly matches due to back soreness. On 30 June, he announced his retirement from all professional football. He finished his international career with 57 games and 7 goals for Australia.
Player Profile: Style of Play
Aaron Mooy is known for his unique playing style. He combines great technical skills, vision, and understanding of the game. He was sometimes called "Pasty Pirlo" or "Aussie Iniesta," comparing him to famous midfielders.
When he started his career at St Mirren, Mooy played as a "deep-lying playmaker." This means he played deeper in midfield and controlled the game by passing the ball. He was good at finding space and thinking quickly.
As he played for different clubs, his style changed. He became a "box-to-box midfielder." This means he helped both in defense and attack. He could play in different positions and was good at setting up attacks.
Mooy is good at scoring goals and shooting accurately. He can also make dangerous passes and has excellent vision. In defense, he is good at positioning himself and stopping passes. He is a very clean passer of the ball and stays calm under pressure.
He is not known for being very physical, but he works hard without the ball. He helps his team by pressing opponents and breaking up their plays. Mooy is great at keeping the ball and finding space in crowded areas. He rarely makes a wrong pass and can control the speed of the game.
At Celtic, Mooy fit well into the team's system. His passing and ability to connect with teammates helped the team move the ball forward. Even though he wasn't the fastest, he could protect the ball and carry it well. His awareness, vision, and ability to take set-pieces (like free kicks) made him very valuable.
Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Aaron Mooy's mother, Sam, was very important in his early life. She drove him to training every day. Sam describes Aaron as a "quiet soul" who likes a simple life.
When he turned 21 in Scotland, Aaron asked his younger brother, Alex, to join him for a special celebration. Aaron is married to Nicola Mooy, whom he met in Glasgow in 2011. They got married in May 2017.
The couple has two children: a daughter named Skylar (born 2015) and a son named Maximilian (born 2018). When Aaron played in China, his family could not be with him due to the global pandemic. He later joined Celtic to be closer to his family. Aaron even made an "S" gesture after scoring a goal for Celtic, dedicating it to his daughter Skylar.
Aaron Mooy has a cousin, Brodie Mooy, who was also a professional footballer. His brother Alex, who was six years younger, also played football. Sadly, Alex passed away in June 2021.
Heritage and Values
Aaron Mooy has tattoos that show his personal values and heritage. At 16, he got a guardian angel tattoo on his shoulder. This symbolized the support he needed while away from his family in England.
He also has Dutch words tattooed on his skin: "Leven, Lachen, Liefde" (Live, Love, Laugh). The name "Mooy" itself is important to him. His grandfather changed it from "Mooij" when he moved from Holland to Australia. This connects Aaron to his family's Dutch roots.
Aaron's mother, Sam, says their family history and Aaron's Dutch heritage are very important. Aaron never met his Dutch grandfather but admires him greatly. Aaron's stepfather, Alan Todd, also helped him a lot in football. Alan taught Aaron to use both his left and right foot well from a young age. This made Aaron a very versatile player.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| St Mirren | 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 13 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 21 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | ||||
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2012–13 | A-League | 23 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||||
| 2013–14 | A-League | 26 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 31 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 54 | 5 | |||||
| Melbourne City | 2014–15 | A-League | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 7 | |||
| 2015–16 | A-League | 26 | 11 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | 30 | 17 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 18 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | 58 | 24 | |||||
| Manchester City | 2016–17 | Premier League | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2016–17 | Championship | 45 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 51 | 4 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 2017–18 | Premier League | 36 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | |||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 111 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 120 | 11 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2019–20 | Premier League | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 2 | ||||
| Shanghai SIPG | 2020 | Chinese Super League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | Chinese Super League | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 5 | |||
| Total | 23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 31 | 6 | ||||
| Celtic | 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 29 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 42 | 7 | |
| Career total | 317 | 46 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 367 | 57 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2012 | 2 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | |
| Total | 57 | 7 | |
- Australia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Mooy goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 December 2012 | Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong | 1 |  Guam |
1–0 | 9–0 | 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 December 2012 | 2 |  Chinese Taipei |
6–0 | 8–0 | ||
| 3 | 28 July 2013 | Seoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 3 |  China |
1–1 | 3–4 | 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup |
| 4 | 3 September 2015 | Perth Oval, Perth, Australia | 7 |  Bangladesh |
5–0 | 5–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 29 March 2016 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia | 13 |  Jordan |
2–0 | 5–1 | |
| 6 | 10 September 2019 | Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | 40 |  Kuwait |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 1 February 2022 | Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman | 49 |  Oman |
2–1 | 2–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Western Sydney Wanderers
- A-League Premiership: 2012–13
Huddersfield Town
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2017
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2022–23
- Scottish Cup: 2022–23
- Scottish League Cup: 2022–23
Individual
- Melbourne City Player of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16
- PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Fox Sports Alex Tobin Medal: 2014–15
- PFA Footballer of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17
- EFL Team of the Season: 2016–17
- PFA Team of the Year: 2016–17 Championship
- Huddersfield Town Player of the Year: 2016–17
Images for kids
-
Mooy (left) at the Western Sydney Wanderers launch
-
Mooy playing for Western Sydney Wanderers in 2013
-
Mooy playing for Australia in 2017
-
Mooy (second from the left) with Australia in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Aaron Mooy para niños
