Mark Bosnich facts for kids
Bosnich playing for the Central Coast Mariners in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mark John Bosnich | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 January 1972 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Sydney Croatia | |||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Manchester United | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Manchester United | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Sydney United | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1999 | Aston Villa | 179 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Manchester United | 23 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Chelsea | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Sydney Olympic | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 227 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Australia U20 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Australia U23 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–2000 | Australia | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Mark John Bosnich (born 13 January 1972) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played as a goalkeeper. After his playing career, he became a sports expert and commentator.
Mark Bosnich played for famous English clubs like Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Chelsea. He also played in Australia for Sydney United, Central Coast Mariners, and Sydney Olympic. He represented Australia 17 times. He was also a co-host of Bill & Boz on Fox Sports News.
Manchester United first brought Bosnich to England in 1989. However, he didn't get many chances to play and had visa problems, so he went back to Australia. A year later, Aston Villa brought him back to England. He became known as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League during the 1990s. Manchester United signed him again in 1999 to replace Peter Schmeichel. But injuries meant he didn't play as much. He then moved to Chelsea in 2001, where he also struggled with injuries. He left Chelsea in 2002. Bosnich returned to play professionally in Australia in 2008 before retiring in 2009.
Club Career Highlights
Early Days at Manchester United (1988–1991)
Mark Bosnich was born and grew up in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. His father came from Croatia. Mark went to Casula Primary School and Liverpool Boys High School. He played for the Sydney Croatia youth team before moving to England.
In 1989, when he was 17, he joined Manchester United. He made his first team debut for them on 30 April 1990. He played only two more games for Manchester United before leaving the club in 1991. He then returned to Sydney Croatia briefly. In 1992, he came back to England to play for Aston Villa.
Success with Aston Villa (1992–1999)
Bosnich started playing regularly for Aston Villa in the 1993–94 season. In the League Cup semi-final that season, he famously saved three shots in a penalty shoot-out. Aston Villa went on to win the final against his old club, Manchester United. In March 1994, Bosnich saved two more penalties against Tottenham Hotspur, helping his team get a 1-1 draw.
The 1995–96 season was one of Bosnich's best. He was seen as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. He helped Villa finish fourth in the league and win the League Cup final at Wembley. They beat Leeds United 3-0. Bosnich played for Aston Villa for three more seasons. He played 207 games for the club over seven and a half years.
Return to Manchester United (1999–2001)
In 1999, Manchester United signed Bosnich again. He was brought in to replace the famous goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. That season, he helped United win the Premier League title. He played 23 league games.
He also saved two penalties in January 2000. One was against Necaxa in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, which helped secure a 1-1 draw. The other was against Middlesbrough, which helped United win 1-0. He also played a key part in Manchester United becoming the first English team to win the Intercontinental Cup by keeping a clean sheet against Palmeiras from Brazil.
After one season as United's main goalkeeper, the club signed French World Cup-winning goalkeeper Fabien Barthez in 2000. Bosnich then became a third-choice goalkeeper. He decided to leave Manchester United.
Time at Chelsea (2001–2002)
On 18 January 2001, Mark Bosnich joined Chelsea. He faced problems with his fitness and injuries. His first game for Chelsea was in the next season, in a UEFA Cup match. He was injured in a league game in November 2001, and this was his last game for Chelsea. He left the club in September 2002.
Coming Back to Football (2002–2007)
After leaving Chelsea, Bosnich did not play professional football for several years. In early 2007, his former Chelsea teammate Ed de Goey inspired him to try and return to the game. By July 2007, Bosnich started training with Queens Park Rangers to get fit again. He lost a lot of weight and felt he had regained his skills. In September, he played a friendly game and kept a clean sheet.
Playing in Australia (2008–2009)
Bosnich returned to Australia in 2008. He was announced as the starting goalkeeper for the Central Coast Mariners in a pre-season game in July 2008. He kept a clean sheet and even saved a penalty. He signed a short-term deal with the Mariners.
Bosnich made his A-League debut on 31 August 2008. He played in a 4-2 win against the Queensland Roar. After the Mariners' main goalkeeper returned from suspension, Bosnich did not play for them again. In May 2009, he signed to play for Sydney Olympic for the rest of the NSW Premier League season. He later ended his playing career due to a hamstring injury to focus on his television work.
International Career
Mark Bosnich's first appearance for the Australia national team was in 1990. His first official international game was in 1993 against New Zealand in a qualifying match for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Bosnich also played for Australia at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He played for Australia in a very important match against Iran in 1997. This game was to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. Australia lost, which Bosnich called "the lowest moment in Australian football." He also scored a penalty for his country in a big 13-0 win over the Solomon Islands. In 2007, he said he hoped to play for Australia again to make up for times he chose his club over his country.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring from playing, Mark Bosnich became a football analyst and commentator for Fox Sports. He co-hosted a show called Bill & Boz. In 2021, Bosnich joined Stan Sport to cover major European football competitions like the UEFA Champions League. He also works as a player agent. Mark Bosnich lives in Woolloomooloo with his partner Sarah Jones.
Honours
Aston Villa
- Football League Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1999–2000
- Intercontinental Cup: 1999
Australia
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 1997
Individual Awards
- Oceania Footballer of the Year: 1997
- Oceania Goalkeeper of the Century: 1999
See also
In Spanish: Mark Bosnich para niños
