David Williams (Australian soccer) facts for kids
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Williams with North Queensland Fury in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Joel Williams | ||
| Date of birth | 26 February 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker, winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Perth Glory | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Pine Hills | |||
| Westside | |||
| 2002–2003 | Mitchelton | ||
| 2004–2005 | QAS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2006 | Queensland Roar | 2 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Brøndby | 34 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | → North Queensland Fury (loan) | 21 | (3) |
| 2010–2011 | North Queensland Fury | 28 | (5) |
| 2011 | → Sydney FC (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2011–2016 | Melbourne City | 101 | (21) |
| 2016–2018 | Haladás | 66 | (20) |
| 2018–2019 | Wellington Phoenix | 25 | (11) |
| 2019–2020 | ATK | 18 | (7) |
| 2020–2022 | Mohun Bagan | 37 | (10) |
| 2022– | Perth Glory | 43 | (10) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2005 | Australia U17 | 14 | (11) |
| 2005–2006 | Australia U20 | 12 | (10) |
| 2007–2008 | Australia U23 | 11 | (7) |
| 2008–2010 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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David Joel Williams (born on February 26, 1988) is an Australian professional football player. He plays as a forward for Perth Glory. David is a special player because he was the first Indigenous Australian to play for the A-League club Melbourne City. He also played for Australia's national team twice.
David was born in Brisbane, Australia. He started playing youth football at the Queensland Academy of Sport. Later, he made his professional debut for Queensland Roar. Throughout his career, David has played for many A-League clubs. These include Queensland Roar, North Queensland Fury, Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Wellington Phoenix.
He also played football in Europe for the Danish club Brøndby. Later, he played for the Hungarian club Haladás. David is also part of the Indigenous Football Australia Council. This group helps support John Moriarty Football. It's a program that helps young Indigenous players get into football.
Contents
- Club Career: David Williams' Football Journey
- International Career: Playing for Australia
- Career Statistics: David's Football Numbers
- Honours: David's Achievements
Club Career: David Williams' Football Journey
Starting Out: David's Youth Football Days
David Williams was born in Brisbane, Australia. He began his football journey with amateur clubs like Westside and Pine Hills. Later, he joined the youth team at Mitchelton FC. While playing, he also attended Northside Christian College. He was a member of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) squad.
David even trained with big European clubs. He spent time with Belgian club Club Brugge and English Premier League club Liverpool. In January 2006, he signed with the Australian A-League team Queensland Roar. This was for the rest of the 2005–06 season. His coach, Miron Bleiberg, said David was the best Australian talent since Harry Kewell. Many people thought he was the best young Australian striker. After playing two games for Roar, he moved to Denmark. In May 2006, he joined the Danish team Brøndby IF.
Playing in Europe: David's Time at Brøndby IF
At Brøndby, David started in the reserve team. He scored 12 goals in just five reserve matches. This quickly led to his first team debut on August 5 against AC Horsens. On November 11, David scored his first goal for Brøndby in a Superliga game. He also played in the European UEFA Cup tournament. In December 2006, David was promoted to the Brøndby first team squad.
He played 19 games and scored one goal in his first season. In the 2007–08 season, he played 10 games and scored three goals. David started the 2008–09 season well. He scored a goal in the UEFA Cup against FC Haka. He signed a new contract with Brøndby until 2011. However, he injured his knee in September 2008. After his recovery, the new coach didn't play him much. This made David want to leave the club.
Back in Australia: Playing in the A-League
North Queensland Fury: A Loan and Permanent Move
David joined the North Queensland Fury FC on a one-year loan. This was for the 2009–10 A-League season. He later signed a permanent contract with the Fury in January 2010.
Sydney FC: A Short Loan Spell
On February 16, 2011, Sydney FC signed David Williams. It was a short-term deal from the Fury. He joined them for their AFC Champions League 2011 games. He played 4 matches for the club during this time.
Melbourne City: A Key Player
On June 22, 2011, David signed a three-year deal with A-League club Melbourne Heart. This club later became Melbourne City FC. He signed another two-year contract extension in 2014. This kept him at the club until the end of the 2015–16 season.
In August 2014, David played in the 2014 A-League All Stars Game. He came on as a substitute for Alessandro Del Piero. This was Del Piero's last game in Australia. David left the club in January 2016.
Playing in Hungary: David's Time at Haladás
On January 25, 2016, David Williams signed with the Hungarian club Haladás. He hoped this move would help him play for Australia again. In June 2018, David left Haladás.
Return to the A-League: Wellington Phoenix
On July 23, 2018, it was announced that David would return to the A-League. He signed a one-year deal with Wellington Phoenix. On June 10, 2019, it was announced that David would be leaving the Wellington Phoenix.
Playing in India: Indian Super League Success
ATK: Winning the League
On June 28, 2019, the Indian Super League club ATK signed David. He joined them from the A-League club Wellington Phoenix on a one-year contract. David scored his first goal for ATK in a big 5–0 win. He finished the season with 7 goals and 5 assists. He also helped ATK win the Indian Super League title!
Mohun Bagan: More Goals in India
On September 8, 2020, Mohun Bagan confirmed they had signed David Williams. He joined them on a one-year contract. On December 21, 2020, he scored his first goal for the club. It was a winning goal in a 1-0 match against Bengaluru FC.
Back to Australia: Perth Glory
David Williams returned to Australia in August 2022. He signed with the A-League Men team Perth Glory.
International Career: Playing for Australia
David Williams was chosen to play for Australia's national youth teams. He was part of the squads for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship (Under-20) and the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship. However, because the U-20 championship happened first, he couldn't play in the U-17 World Championship.
He was also selected for Australia's World Cup qualifier game. This was against China on June 22, 2008. He came on as a substitute in that match.
Career Statistics: David's Football Numbers
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Queensland Roar | 2005–06 | A-League | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Brøndby | 2006–07 | Danish Superliga | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 2007–08 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 34 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 42 | 6 | ||
| North Queensland Fury (loan) | 2009–10 | A-League | 21 | 3 | — | — | 21 | 3 | ||
| North Queensland Fury | 2010–11 | A-League | 28 | 5 | — | — | 28 | 5 | ||
| Sydney FC (loan) | 2010–11 | A-League | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Melbourne City | 2011–12 | A-League | 15 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | 24 | 5 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 26 | 12 | — | — | 26 | 12 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 3 | |||
| 2015–16 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Total | 101 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 107 | 21 | ||
| Haladás | 2015–16 | NB I | 14 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | 25 | 11 | — | — | 25 | 11 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 27 | 7 | — | — | 27 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 66 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 20 | ||
| Wellington Phoenix | 2018–19 | A-League | 27 | 11 | — | — | 27 | 11 | ||
| ATK | 2019–20 | Indian Super League | 18 | 7 | — | — | 18 | 7 | ||
| Mohun Bagan | 2020–21 | Indian Super League | 20 | 6 | — | — | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | 17 | 4 | — | 9 | 6 | 26 | 10 | |||
| Total | 37 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 46 | 16 | ||
| Perth Glory | 2022–23 | A-League Men | 18 | 5 | — | — | 18 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 352 | 86 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 375 | 94 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Honours: David's Achievements
ATK
- Indian Super League: 2019–20
Australia U20
- OFC U-20 Championship: 2005
Individual Awards
- A-League All Star: 2013, 2014
- PFA A-League Team of the Year: 2013–14
- Melbourne City Player of the Season: 2013–14
- ATK Player of the Month: October 2019
