Jason Culina facts for kids
Culina in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jason Culina | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 August 1980 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| St Albans | ||||||||||||||||
| Melbourne Knights | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Sydney United | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Sydney United | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Sydney Olympic | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Ajax | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | → Germinal Beerschot (loan) | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | → De Graafschap (loan) | 24 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Twente | 38 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | PSV | 98 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Gold Coast United | 44 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Newcastle Jets | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sydney FC | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 280 | (29) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Australia U-17 | 5 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | Australia U-20 | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Australia U-23 | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | Australia | 58 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Sydney United 58 | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Jason Culina (born 5 August 1980) is a former Australian soccer player and coach. He played as a midfielder and was known for his skills and versatility on the field.
Contents
Playing Career
Jason Culina started his soccer journey with Sydney United. His father, Branko Culina, was his coach there. Later, Jason moved to Ajax, a famous club in the Netherlands. He found it tough at first, playing mostly in the reserve team.
Shining in the Netherlands
Culina really started to show his talent when he joined Twente. His great performances there led him to join another top Dutch club, PSV. At Twente, he was an attacking midfielder, but at PSV, he played a more defensive role. He was very successful in this new position. In his last year at PSV, he even played as a right-back, showing how adaptable he was.
Returning to Australia
On 9 January 2009, Culina decided to come back to Australia. He wanted a new challenge and to help improve Australian soccer. He said, "I want to make a fresh start... I am keen to promote the national competition and raise the standard."
Soon after, on 14 January 2009, he signed with Gold Coast United. He became their first "marquee player," which means he was a big-name player brought in to attract fans. He even scored a goal in his first friendly match for the club. In 2011, he planned to join his father, Branko Culina, at Newcastle Jets. However, a long-term injury meant he missed the entire 2011–12 season.
In October 2012, Culina signed with A-League club Sydney FC. But he left the club in February 2013 after a disagreement with the manager. Jason Culina officially announced his retirement from playing soccer on 18 June 2013.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Jason Culina moved into coaching.
- In 2015, he joined the coaching staff at King's School.
- In 2016, he became the technical director of football and coach of the First XI at St Joseph's College.
On 16 August 2017, Culina was appointed head coach of Sydney United 58 FC. He resigned after eight games, with four wins and four losses. Today, Culina coaches the under-12 team for Sydney United 58 FC. On 10 August 2023, he joined Western Sydney Wanderers as their Head of Academy Coaches.
International Career
Jason Culina made his first appearance for the Australia national team, known as the Socceroos, in 2005 against South Africa. He quickly became a regular player under coach Guus Hiddink.
His first goal for Australia came in September 2005 against the Solomon Islands in Sydney. Culina played a key role in Australia qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. This was a huge moment for Australian soccer, as they qualified after a thrilling penalty shootout against Uruguay. Culina played in all four of Australia's matches at the World Cup.
On 3 March 2010, Culina was named captain of Australia for the first time. This was for an AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia, which Australia won 1–0. He officially retired from international soccer on 18 June 2013.
Personal Life
Jason Culina is the youngest son of Branko Culina, who was also a soccer coach for clubs like Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets. Jason has Croatian family roots.
On 5 February 2007, Jason and his wife Terri had their first child, a boy named Roman. Roman Culina is also a soccer player and currently plays for the Western Sydney Wanderers NPL NSW squad.
Honours and Achievements
Jason Culina won many titles during his career:
With Ajax
- KNVB Cup: 2001–02 (a major cup competition in the Netherlands)
- Eredivisie: 2003–04 (the top Dutch soccer league)
With PSV
- Eredivisie: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 (winning the league three times in a row!)
- Russian Railways Cup: 2007
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2008 (a super cup match in the Netherlands)
With Australia
- AFC Asian Cup: runner-up in 2011 (meaning Australia came in second place)
Individual Award
- Gold Coast United Player of the Year: 2009–10 (he was voted the best player for his club that season)
See also
In Spanish: Jason Čulina para niños
