Mohamed Al-Taay
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-06-15) 15 June 2000
Place of birth Campbelltown, Australia
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Wellington Phoenix
Number 12
Youth career
2012–2015 Blacktown City
2016 Marconi Stallions FC
2017–2021 Western Sydney Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Western Sydney Wanderers NPL 76 (0)
2021–2023 Newcastle Jets 29 (0)
2023– Wellington Phoenix 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 January 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 December 2021

Mohamed Al-Taay (born 15 June 2000) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Wellington Phoenix.

Early life

Al-Taay was born in Campbelltown, New South Wales with two older brothers and one younger sister to Iraqi refugees who fled to Australia in 1994 due to the conflicts under Saddam Hussein.[1][2] His father fled to a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia before moving to Australia.[2]

Al-Taay began playing football at the age of six with his father and brothers and attended Campbelltown Performing Arts High School growing up.[3] He joined his first football clubs with Blacktown City and Marconi Stallions in their junior age groups.[4]

Despite being born in Australia, Al-Taay developed interest in representing the Iraq national football team.[5] He is a devoted muslim and frequently participates in ramadan.[2] Al-Taay is fluent in Arabic and English, having learnt the former first growing up.[2]

Career

Newcastle Jets

Having come through the Western Sydney Wanderers academy and NPL program, Al-Taay joined Newcastle Jets ahead of the 2021–22 season, in the hope of breaking through for his A-League debut.[6]

At the conclusion of the 2022–23 A-League season, Al-Taay departed Newcastle after 29 appearances in all competitions across two seasons.[7]

Wellington Phoenix

Al-Taay signed for Wellington Phoenix ahead of the 2023–24 season.[8]

Style of play

Al-Taay is primarily positioned as a defensive midfielder but is also able to play as a centre-back and right back.[4] He is characterised more to be a ball-winning midfielder and is noted for his work rate and defensive abilities by Giancarlo Italiano. He is also described as having a similar playing style towards Cameron Devlin.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Five things to know about Mohamed Al-Taay". Wellington Phoenix. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Comito, Matt (21 December 2023). "My dad escaped war, chose Australia & worked 20 hours a day so I could make it to the A-Leagues". A-League. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Elmerhebe, Tarik (22 November 2016). "Aspiring soccer teen Mohamed Al-Taay aims high". The Daily Telegraph. Macarthur Chronicle Campbelltown. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Get to know new recruit Mohamed Al-Taay". Newcastle Jets. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Clarke, George (12 October 2023). "Phoenix new boy Al-Taay targets Iraqi national team". The West Australian. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Jets secure defensive utility Mohamed Al-Taay - Newcastle Jets". Newcastlejetsfc.com.au. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "Newcastle Jets Confirm A-League Men departures". Newcastle Jets FC. 7 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Wellington Phoenix begin rebuild with signing of midfielder Mohamed Al-Taay". Stuff. 11 May 2023.
  9. ↑ D'Urbano, Nick (11 May 2023). "Wellington Phoenix start rebuild with 'no-brainer' signing: 'He reminds me of Cam Devlin'". A-League. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.