| Known since his teenage years as a winger with speed, ball control and creativity, Brett Emerton has been a regular Australian national team player since the mid 1990s, and made his debut with the senior side aged just 18.
After captaining Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games he moved abroad with a big reputation and immediately became a first team regular at Feyenoord. He has maintained his regular starting position since securing a dream move to the English Premier League in 2003, signing on with Blackburn Rovers.
Emerton has developed into an extremely effective overlapping fullback both at Blackburn and with the national team. He enjoyed a terrific 2006 World Cup, before getting harshly sent off against Croatia and his attacking presence down the right was missing in the clash with Italy.
Emerton suffered a serious knee injury late in 2008, but returned to form for both club and country ahead of the 2010 World Cup, and played in all three of the Qantas Socceroos’ games in South Africa.
He surprised Australian football by returning to his hometown in 2011, leaving behind the Premier League to sign a three-year contract with Hyundai A-League club Sydney FC. Having “Emmo” back in the domestic game is a huge boost for the Hyundai A-League and he will no doubt prove an excellent signing both for club and the competition as a whole. |