Mile Jedinak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mile Jedinak

Jedinak with Antalyaspor in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Michael John Jedinak
Date of birth	(1984-08-03) 3 August 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
000	Sydney United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2006	Sydney United	84	(12)
2003–2004	→ Varteks (loan)	0	(0)
2005	→ South Coast United (loan)	18	(7)
2006–2009	Central Coast Mariners	45	(8)
2009–2011	Gençlerbirliği	38	(4)
2009–2010	→ Antalyaspor (loan)	28	(5)
2011–2016	Crystal Palace	165	(10)
2016–2019	Aston Villa	70	(2)
Total		421	(39)
International career
2003	Australia U20	9	(0)
2008–2018	Australia	79	(20)
Medal record Representing  Australia AFC Asian Cup Winner 2015 Australia Runner-up 2011 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael John "Mile" Jedinak (born 3 August 1984) is an Australian former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was known for his strong defensive skills. After retiring from playing, he became an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

Jedinak grew up in Sydney, Australia. He started playing youth football with Sydney United. He then began his senior career at the same club. He also spent time on loan at clubs like Varteks and South Coast United. In 2006, Jedinak joined the Central Coast Mariners. Later, he played for Turkish clubs Gençlerbirliği and Antalyaspor.

In 2011, Jedinak moved to England to play for Crystal Palace. He became the team's captain in 2012. He helped Crystal Palace get promoted to the Premier League in 2013. In 2016, he joined Aston Villa. He also helped them get promoted back to the Premier League before he retired in 2020. After retiring, he started a coaching career.

Jedinak first played for the Australia national team in 2008. He played 79 games for his country. From 2014 until his international retirement in 2018, he was the team's captain. He played for Australia in three FIFA World Cups: 2010, 2014, and 2018. He also played in two AFC Asian Cup tournaments. He led Australia to victory in the 2015 Asian Cup, which was held in Australia.

Playing Career Highlights

Jedinak started his football journey playing for his school teams. He played for St Agnes Catholic High and Loyola Senior High School, Mount Druitt. He was captain of his school team and led them to win the Jesuit Cup. He began his professional career at Sydney United. He also had a short loan spell with Croatian club Varteks. He helped Sydney United win the NSW Premier League title in 2006.

Success with Central Coast Mariners

Jedinak playing for the Central Coast Mariners in 2008

Jedinak joined the Central Coast Mariners in 2006. He quickly became an important player for the team. He helped them win the Premiers' Plate in the 2007–08 season. This was a big achievement for the club. He also scored some amazing goals during his time there. In the 2008–09 season, he was the team's second-highest goal scorer.

Time in Turkey

On 25 December 2008, Jedinak signed with the Turkish club Gençlerbirliği. He made his first appearance for them in January 2009. His first goal for Gençlerbirliği was in a 1–0 win against Fenerbahçe. He also spent time on loan at another Turkish club, Antalyaspor.

Captain at Crystal Palace

Jedinak playing for Crystal Palace in 2014

In July 2011, Jedinak joined Crystal Palace in England. He quickly became a favourite among the fans. In the 2012–13 season, he was given the captain's armband. He led the team to a big win against Peterborough United on the last day of the season. This win secured a playoff spot for Palace. He then captained the team to win the playoffs. This meant Crystal Palace was promoted to the top-tier Premier League. Jedinak was voted Crystal Palace's Player of the Season for 2012–13.

In December 2013, Jedinak signed a new contract with Crystal Palace. He scored his first Premier League goal from a penalty kick in April 2014. He chose not to celebrate the goal to show respect for a fellow player, Dylan Tombides, who had passed away. In October 2014, he was recognized as one of the best players in Europe based on his performance. In November, he was named Asian International Footballer of the Year. His amazing free-kick goal against Liverpool in November 2014 was voted Goal of the Season for Crystal Palace. Before the 2016–17 season, Jedinak stepped down as captain.

Moving to Aston Villa

On 17 August 2016, Jedinak joined Aston Villa. He signed a three-year deal with the Championship club. He made his debut for Aston Villa later that month. In December 2017, he scored his first goal for Villa. He also scored an important goal in a playoff semi-final win against Middlesbrough. Two weeks later, Villa lost the playoff final.

In May 2019, Jedinak played a key role in Aston Villa's playoff semi-final victory. He scored a penalty in the shootout, helping Villa win and move closer to promotion. He was an unused substitute when Aston Villa beat Derby County 2-1 in the final. This win secured their return to the Premier League. Jedinak left Aston Villa at the end of the 2018–19 season. In July 2020, he announced his retirement from playing professional football.

International Career for Australia

Jedinak representing Australia against Paraguay at the Sydney Football Stadium in October 2010

Jedinak played for Australia's youth team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He made his first appearance for the senior national team in 2008. He was an important player for the "Socceroos" leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was part of Australia's squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Jedinak scored his first international goal against South Korea in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He scored another goal in the next match against Bahrain.

In May 2014, Jedinak was chosen as the captain of the Australian national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He scored a goal from a penalty spot in Australia's match against the Netherlands.

Jedinak was also the captain for Australia in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which was held in Australia. He scored a penalty in their first game against Kuwait. He returned from an injury to play in the knockout stages. He proudly lifted the trophy after Australia won the final against South Korea.

On 15 November 2017, Jedinak scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Honduras. This helped Australia qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In May 2018, he was named in Australia’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He scored two more penalties in the tournament, one against France and another against Denmark.

Jedinak retired from international football in October 2018. He played 79 games for Australia, making him one of the most capped players. He also scored 20 goals, placing him among the country's top goal scorers.

Coaching Career

In March 2020, Jedinak started a coaching role with Aston Villa's academy. In March 2021, he was appointed as the Loan Development Coach at Aston Villa. In June 2023, he became an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur. He worked under his former national team manager, Ange Postecoglou. He departed this role on 12 June 2025.

Personal Life

Mile Jedinak is married to Natalie Peacock. They have four sons together. Besides his full name, Michael, he is often called "Mile." He is also known as "Jedi," which is a shorter version of his last name. Because "Jedi" is similar to the characters from Star Wars, people often tell him "May the force be with you" or "Use the force."

Career Statistics

Club

International

International Goals

Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	15 January 2011	Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	South Korea	1–1	1–1	2011 AFC Asian Cup
2.	18 January 2011	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Bahrain	1–0	1–0
3.	11 October 2011	ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia	Oman	3–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.	5 March 2014	The Den, London, England	Ecuador	2–0	3–4	Friendly
5.	18 June 2014	Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil	Netherlands	2–1	2–3	2014 FIFA World Cup
6.	8 September 2014	Craven Cottage, London, England	Saudi Arabia	2–0	3–2	Friendly
7.	9 January 2015	Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia	Kuwait	3–1	4–1	2015 AFC Asian Cup
8.	25 March 2015	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany	Germany	2–1	2–2	Friendly
9.	17 June 2015	Spartak Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.	12 November 2015	Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	3–0
11.	17 November 2015	Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh	Bangladesh	4–0	4–0
12.	24 March 2016	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia	Tajikistan	2–0	7–0
13.	11 October 2016	Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, Australia	Japan	1–1	1–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
14.	15 November 2016	Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	Thailand	1–0	2–2
15.				2–2
16.	15 November 2017	Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia	Honduras	1–0	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.				2–0
18.				3–0
19.	16 June 2018	Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia	France	1–1	1–2	2018 FIFA World Cup
20.	21 June 2018	Cosmos Arena, Samara, Russia	Denmark	1–1	1–1

Awards and Achievements

Sydney United

• NSW Premier League: 2006

Central Coast Mariners

• A-League Premiership: 2007–08

Crystal Palace

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2013
• FA Cup runner-up: 2015–16

Aston Villa

• EFL Championship play-offs: 2019

Australia

• AFC Asian Cup: 2015; runner-up 2011

Individual Awards

• Mariners Medal: 2007–08
• PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2008–09
• Crystal Palace Player of the Year: 2012–13
• FFA Male footballer of the Year: 2013, 2014
• AFC Asian International Player of the Year: 2014
• PFA Footballer of the Year: 2013–14
• AFC Opta All-time XI at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
• IFFHS Asian Men's Team of All Time: 2021

See also

In Spanish: Mile Jedinak para niños