Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Jok Deng [1] | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 20 March 1997 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) [2] [3] | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Centre-back, right-back [4] [5] | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Albirex Niigata | ||||||||||||||||
Number | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
Adelaide Blue Eagles | |||||||||||||||||
Playford City | |||||||||||||||||
2011–2013 | Western Eagles | ||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
2013 | Western Eagles | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
2014 | Green Gully | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2015–2016 | Melbourne Victory NPL | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2015–2020 | Melbourne Victory | 71 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
2016–2017 | → Jong PSV (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2020–2021 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 21 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2022– | Albirex Niigata | 41 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
2015–2016 | Australia U20 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2016–2021 | Australia U23 | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2018– | Australia | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 March 2024 |
Thomas Jok Deng (born 20 March 1997) is a professional soccer player who plays as a central defender for J1 League club Albirex Niigata. Born a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, he has represented the Australia national team.
Thomas Jok Deng was born 20 March 1997[ citation needed ] into a family of South Sudanese refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. He and his family were fleeing the conflict in South Sudan, eventually settling in Adelaide, South Australia, [6] in 2003, when Deng was six years old. [7] [8] His father remained in Kenya to serve as a doctor with Save the Children, and passed away in 2007. [9] His family moved to Melbourne, Victoria in 2011. [10]
Deng has four older siblings as well as a half-brother who lives in Uganda. [11] His older brother, Peter Deng, has represented South Sudan at senior level. [12]
Deng's first club, along with his good friend and fellow refugee Awer Mabil, was Adelaide Blue Eagles. [13]
Deng made his senior football debut as a 16 year old in 2013 at Western Eagles F.C. under then-manager Budala Barešić-Nikić in the Victorian State League Division 3. [14] [15] The following season, the youngster moved to nearby Green Gully SC, where manager Bob Stojcevski recruited Deng to play for the club's u20 side. He was eventually promoted to the senior team and made 13 first team appearances in the NPL Victoria in 2014. [6]
Following his impressive performances at Gully, Melbourne Victory National Youth League coach Darren Davies rewarded Deng with a youth contract. Deng debuted for the senior team for Melbourne Victory against Balmain Tigers in the 2015 FFA Cup. He made his A-League debut on 9 October 2015 against Adelaide United, as a substitute replacing Fahid Ben Khalfallah after a red card was shown to Leigh Broxham. Thomas made his starting debut in the A-League for Melbourne Victory on 17 October 2015 in round 2 against town rivals, Melbourne City, where he was selected as Man of the Match by supporters and social media.
In June 2016, Deng moved to Jong PSV on a one-year loan deal. [16] [17] After making five appearances, he returned to Melbourne Victory at the end of the season. [18]
In January 2020, Deng left Melbourne Victory to join Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds following his performance at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. [19]
He was part of the main squad of the Olyroos at the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship and put on an extremely impressive display throughout the tournament, garnering high praise from respected Australian pundits: Geoff Fullgrabe, Alan Vucenik, and Craig Foster.
A South Sudanese national at birth, he is eligible to play for Australia, Kenya and South Sudan.
In October 2018, Deng was named in the Socceroos squad for their training camp in the UAE and their friendly against Kuwait. In the friendly he made his debut, together with fellow South Sudanese refugee and boyhood friend Awer Mabil. [20]
On 22 July 2021, Deng captained Australia in a historic 2–0 win over Argentina in the first group game of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, also winning the Player of the Match award. [21] [22]
He was included in the Australian squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but did not play.[ citation needed ]
Deng has played in the African Nations Cup of South Australia. [23]
Melbourne Victory
Albirex Niigata
Archie Gerald Thompson is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is also currently serving as a club ambassador for Melbourne Victory FC.
Eugen Josip Galekovic is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the current goalkeeper coach for Adelaide United.
Graham James Arnold is an Australian soccer manager and former player. Arnold was first appointed to work as a head coach of the Australian national soccer team in 2000. After head coach Frank Farina was sacked in 2005, Arnold worked with Guus Hiddink for the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign, in which they made the second round of the finals. After Hiddink left, he became interim coach of the Socceroos. Arnold went on to qualify Australia's U23 men's national soccer team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Arnold then went on to assist Pim Verbeek for qualification of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Arnold's next move was to take the manager role at struggling A-League club the Central Coast Mariners between 2010 and 2013, where he guided the club to a Premiership and a Championship. He is a member of the Football Federation Australia Football Hall of Fame. Arnold went on to win two Premierships, one Championship and an FFA Cup with Sydney FC. In August 2018, Arnold was appointed head coach of the Socceroos - Australia's senior men's national soccer team.
Australian rules football in Africa is most organised in South Africa, although there are programs under development in many African nations including Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe and there are plans to introduce the sport into more African countries.
Aziz Eraltay Behich is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a left back for A-League Men club Melbourne City and the Australia national team.
Awer Bul Mabil is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Swiss Super League club Grasshoppers. Born as a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, he plays for the Australia national team.
Connor Thomas Pain is an Australian professional football (soccer) player who plays as a forward for Al-Bukiryah. He signed his first professional contract in March 2013 for Melbourne Victory.
South Sudanese Australians are people of South Sudanese ancestry or birth who live in Australia.
Christopher James Ikonomidis is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or as a winger for Macarthur FC.
Nicholas D'Agostino is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Viking FK and the Australia national team.
Majok Machar Deng is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Tasmania JackJumpers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball in the United States for Indian Hills Community College and Louisiana–Monroe. He debuted in the NBL for the Adelaide 36ers in 2016. After three seasons for the 36ers, he joined the Cairns Taipans in 2019 where he spent four seasons.
Peter Deng is a South Sudanese professional footballer who plays as a left back for Australian club Heidelberg United FC in the National Premier Leagues Victoria and the South Sudan national football team.
Kenjok "Kenny" Athiu is a South Sudanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Premier Leagues Victoria club Dandenong City and the South Sudan national football team.
This page summarises the Australia national soccer team fixtures and results in 2018.
Official relations exist between Australia and South Sudan. While the two countries do not have official embassies in each other's nation, they share a strong and common tie.
Kusini Boja Yengi is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Portsmouth and the Australia national team.
Alou Kuol is a professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Central Coast Mariners. Born in Sudan, he represents Australia at youth level.
Nestory "Nestor" Irankunda is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Regionalliga Bayern club Bayern Munich II and the Australia national team.
Garang Mawien Kuol is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Premier League club Newcastle United. Born a South Sudanese refugee in Egypt, he plays for the Australia national team.