Jake Gleeson facts for kids
.jpg)
Gleeson in November 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jacob Christopher Gleeson | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Palmerston North, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2008 | Western Suburbs FC | ||
| 2008–2010 | Team Wellington | 5 | (0) |
| 2010 | Portland Timbers U23s | 15 | (0) |
| 2011–2018 | Portland Timbers | 59 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Sacramento Republic (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Portland Timbers 2 (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| Total | 116 | (0) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007 | New Zealand U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | New Zealand U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | New Zealand U23 | 3 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | New Zealand | 8 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Jacob Christopher Gleeson, born on June 26, 1990, is a former professional football player from New Zealand. He played as a goalkeeper, which means he was the player who defends the goal. His last team was the Portland Timbers, an American club.
Contents
Jake Gleeson's Football Journey
Starting Out: Early Football Days
Jake Gleeson started his football career playing for Western Suburbs FC. This team was part of the Central Premier League in New Zealand.
After showing amazing skills at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, Jake got a special chance. He was invited for week-long trials with two big English clubs: Manchester United and Everton. These are famous teams in the Premier League.
During these trials, Jake impressed the coaches. Even though he was a bit sick, they saw his talent. Everton offered him another trial, but it didn't lead to a contract. Manchester United also thought highly of him. Their goalkeeping coach even promised to suggest Jake to other English clubs.
In 2008, Jake moved to a higher league. He signed with Team Wellington in the New Zealand Football Championship. He played for this team for two years, appearing in 5 games.
Joining the Portland Timbers
In 2010, Jake had a choice. He could try out for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS). But he decided to take a guaranteed contract with the Portland Timbers. This was before the Timbers joined MLS.
He was meant to train with the main Timbers team. However, he would play for their younger team, the Portland Timbers U23s, in the USL Premier Development League. Jake hoped to work his way up to the senior team. He saw himself as the third-choice goalie at first.
In his first year with the Timbers U-23 team, Jake and his teammates became champions of the PDL. He helped his team win games by making 15 saves and keeping three clean sheets (no goals scored against them). The team finished the season with a perfect record of 20 wins and no losses. This made them the first undefeated championship team in PDL history.
After training with the main team, Jake officially joined the Major League Soccer Portland Timbers on February 17, 2011. He played his first MLS game on March 26, 2011. He came into the game as a substitute after another player got injured.
Even though he started as the third-choice goalkeeper, Jake played in the very first MLS home game for the Timbers. He played the whole game, and the Timbers won 4–2. In another game, he made a difficult save in the last minute. This save stopped the other team from tying the game. It also earned him a "Save of the Week" award.
Loan to Sacramento Republic
On February 18, 2014, Jake was loaned to Sacramento Republic FC. This was part of an agreement between MLS and USL Pro teams. He played in 17 games for Sacramento. He let in less than one goal per game on average. He also kept a clean sheet in their 2–0 win in the USL Pro Championship.
Becoming a Starter
At the start of the 2016 season, Jake was a backup goalkeeper. But he quickly got a chance to play when the main starter got injured. Jake played very well as the number one goalkeeper. He earned the starting job over the injured player. In 14 games, he made 70 saves and helped the Timbers get three clean sheets.
End of His Career
In 2018, Jake had operations on his right shin because of stress fractures. Due to problems after the first surgery, he had eight more operations. These health issues sadly led to the end of his football career.
Playing for New Zealand
Jake Gleeson played for New Zealand at different age levels. He played for the Under-17 and Under-20 teams.
In 2007, he helped the New Zealand Under-17 team win the Oceania Football Confederation championship. This win meant they could play in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea. His great performance in these tournaments led to his trials with Premier League clubs. In 2008, he helped the Under-20 team finish third in their championship tournament.
Jake was first asked to join the senior New Zealand team in March 2011. This was for a friendly match against China. However, Jake asked to be excused. This was because the Portland Timbers had many injured goalkeepers at the time.
On March 17, 2011, New Zealand's coach, Ricki Herbert, called Jake up again. This was for another friendly game against China. The coach was excited to see Jake play. He said Jake was young and very eager. But again, the Portland Timbers needed Jake to play for them. So, Coach Herbert allowed Jake to stay with his club team.
Jake made his first full international appearance on June 5, 2011. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against Australia. He played for the last 13 minutes of the game. He let in one goal from a penalty kick. After not playing for New Zealand for a while, he was called up again in November 2014 for friendly games.
Career Statistics
International Matches
| New Zealand national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 0 |
Personal Life
In 2012, Jake Gleeson received his U.S. green card. This meant he could be considered a local player for MLS teams.
Achievements and Awards
Club Honours
- Portland Timbers U23s
- USL PDL Champions: 2010
- USL PDL Regular Season Champion: 2010
- USL PDL Western Conference Champion: 2010
- USL PDL Northwest Division Champion: 2010
- Sacramento Republic FC
- USL Pro Championship: 2014
- Portland Timbers
- MLS Cup: 2015
- Western Conference (playoffs): 2015
See also
In Spanish: Jake Gleeson para niños
- List of current MLS players with national team caps
