Miloš Degenek facts for kids
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Degenek with Australia national team
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miloš Degenek | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Knin, Croatia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central defender | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
TSC | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2007 | Bonnyrigg White Eagles | ||
| 2007–2009 | Blacktown City | ||
| 2009 | NSWIS | ||
| 2010–2012 | AIS | ||
| 2012–2013 | VfB Stuttgart | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2015 | VfB Stuttgart II | 9 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | 1860 Munich | 33 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 37 | (2) |
| 2018 | Red Star Belgrade | 20 | (0) |
| 2019 | Al-Hilal | 11 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Red Star Belgrade | 59 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Columbus Crew | 40 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Red Star Belgrade | 7 | (0) |
| 2025– | TSC | 17 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009–2011 | Australia U17 | 7 | (1) |
| 2012 | Serbia U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2015 | Australia U23 | 4 | (0) |
| 2016– | Australia | 48 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 July 2025 |
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Miloš Degenek (born 28 April 1994) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a central defender, which means he is a key player in the defense, helping to stop the other team from scoring. Miloš currently plays for TSC. He was born in Croatia but represents the Australia national team.
Before playing for the senior Australian team, Degenek played for both Serbia and Australia at youth levels. He made his first senior international appearance for Australia against England in 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Australia
Miloš Degenek was born in 1994 in Knin, Croatia. His family was part of the Serb population in Croatia. In 1995, during the Croatian War of Independence, his family had to leave their home. They became refugees and moved to Belgrade, which was then the capital of Yugoslavia.
In 2000, when Miloš was six years old, his family moved to Sydney, Australia. They settled in a suburb called Campsie.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Germany
Miloš Degenek played for the Westfields Sports High School and the Australian Institute of Sport in Australia. In 2012, he joined the under-19 team of VfB Stuttgart, a club in Germany.
He later played for VfB Stuttgart II, which is the reserve team. He made his first appearance for them in July 2013. However, he faced some injuries during his time there, which limited his playing time.
Playing for 1860 Munich
In 2015, Degenek joined 1860 Munich, another German club. He quickly became a regular player, often playing in the defensive midfield position. He scored his first goal for the club in September 2015.
In the 2016–17 season, Degenek changed his position to central defense. He played many games for the team before moving to Japan.
Moving to Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos
On 26 January 2017, Degenek joined the Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos. He felt this move was important for his international career. He quickly became a key player in their starting lineup.
He helped his team go on a long unbeaten streak of 14 matches. He also set up a goal for a teammate in a 1–0 win. In 2018, he signed a new contract and continued to play as a center-back. He scored his first goal for the club in April 2018. He scored two more goals before leaving the club.
First Time at Red Star Belgrade
On 5 July 2018, Degenek joined Red Star Belgrade, a club he had supported since he was young. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut for Red Star Belgrade in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match.
He also played his first game in the Serbian SuperLiga a few days later. In August 2018, he helped Red Star Belgrade qualify for the group stage of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, which is a very big achievement for a club.
Short Spell at Al-Hilal
In January 2019, Degenek moved to the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. He played for them for about six months. During his time there, he was chosen as the "man of the match" in an AFC Champions League game.
Returning to Red Star Belgrade
In July 2019, Degenek returned to his former club, Red Star Belgrade, first on loan. After just two games, Red Star decided to buy him back permanently. He scored an important goal in a UEFA Champions League play-off match, helping Red Star reach the group stage for the second year in a row. He also scored his first league goal for Red Star in September 2019.
Playing in the USA with Columbus Crew
On 24 January 2022, Degenek signed with the American team Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer. He said he made this move to stay fit and ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was recognized for his strong performance in a game in September 2022.
Second Return to Red Star Belgrade
On 24 July 2023, Miloš Degenek returned to Red Star Belgrade for a third time. He continued to play for them until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
International Career
Miloš Degenek could have played for Serbia, Croatia, or Australia because of his background. He holds both Serbian and Australian citizenships.
Youth Teams
Degenek was the captain of Australia's under-15 team in 2009. He also played for the Australia under-16 team and scored his first goal for them in October 2009. He was part of the Australian team that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship.
He also played for the Australia U17 team and scored a goal against Portugal U17 in 2010. He played in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
In 2012, Degenek played for the Serbia national under-19 team. He later said he chose to represent Australia when he had the chance to play for the senior team. In 2015, he was called up to the Olyroos squad (Australia's under-23 team) and made his debut for them.
Playing for the Australian National Team
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Degenek made his debut for the Australia national team against England on 27 May 2016. He came on as a substitute and helped set up Australia's only goal in the game. A week later, he played his first full match for Australia against Greece.
He played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and helped Australia qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In May 2018, he was chosen for Australia's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia. However, he did not play in any of the matches there.
On 30 December 2018, Degenek scored his first international goal for Australia in a friendly game against Oman. He scored from a corner kick, saying it involved "a fair bit of luck" but was very special to him.
During the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Degenek made a pass that led to the only goal for the opposing team, United Arab Emirates, which caused Australia to be knocked out of the tournament.
On 8 November 2022, Degenek was selected for his second World Cup tournament, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made his World Cup debut against France. He played in all four of Australia's matches in the tournament, including their game against eventual champions Argentina in the round of 16.
Personal Life
Miloš Degenek has an older brother named Đorđe. Miloš speaks Serbian, English, and German. He also started learning Japanese when he joined Yokohama F. Marinos.
Miloš has said that he used his soccer salary to help his parents and brother. He believes in supporting his family, just as they supported him when he was young. He is a big fan of Red Star Belgrade and dreams of playing alongside famous defender Sergio Ramos.
Honours
Red Star Belgrade
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24
- Serbian Cup: 2020–21, 2023–24
Al Hilal SFC
- AFC Champions League: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Milos Degenek para niños
