Jason Culina @ Football Federation Australia

NEWS

Jason Culina

Date of Birth: 05 Aug 1980

Place of Birth: Melbourne, VIC

Height: 175cm Weight: 75kg

Current Club: Gold Coast United (Hyundai A-League)

Position: Midfielder

Previous Clubs:

1996 Belmore Hercules (NSW)

1997 Sydney United (NSW)

1997-2004 Millwall (England)

2004 - Everton (England)

Junior Clubs:

Lakemba (NSW)

Major Honours Achieved:

2004 Olympic Games Finals (Athens - over-age player)

2005 FIFA Confederations Cup (Germany)

2006 FIFA World Cup Finals (Germany)

2007 Asian Cup finals

Appearances: 58

Goals: 1

Debut Match:

South Africa (D1-1), Durban (SAF), February 2005

Appearances: 16

Goals: 1

Debut Match:

Brazil (W2-1), Friendly, Australia, March 1998

Last Match:

Honduras (L1-2), Olympic Games, Australia, September 2000

Appearances: 4

Goals: 1

Debut Match:

South Korea (L1-5), Friendly, Australia, February 1999

Last Match:

Ireland (L0-4), World Youth Cup, Nigeria, April 1999

Appearances: 5

Goals: 6

Debut Match:

Argentina (L1-2), Friendly, Argentina, November 1996

Last Match:

New Zealand (L0-1), New Zealand, April 1997

Hat-tricks:

4 goals v Cook Islands (W14-0), New Zealand, April 1997

Qantas Socceroos

Growing up as an attacking midfielder who knew how to score goals, Culina was always going to make the big time after making his national league debut aged just 16.

A lengthy, yet unsettled five year stint at Dutch giants Ajax – interspersed with loan stints to other clubs – ended with a transfer to FC Twente in 2004, and then on to Guus Hiddink's PSV Eindhoven just prior to the Australia's final World Cup qualifying matches in late 2005, where he figured prominently in the first-team and won a Dutch Championship.

A virtual ever–present for the Qantas Socceroos since making his debut in early 2005, he started in four games at the 2006 World Cup finals and all four games at the 2007 Asian Cup finals.

Is a key link man between defence and attack and was a constant figure during the successful qualifying campaign to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

After a decade overseas, Jason decided to return to Australia and take up the marquee player position with new franchise club Gold Coast United in their inaugural season (2009/10).