Brett Trevor Holman (born 27 March 1984) is a former Australian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who last played for
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
in the
A-League as an attacking midfielder.
Born in Sydney, Holman played youth football for
Northern Spirit before making his senior debut for
Parramatta Power
Parramatta Power Soccer Club were a professional association football club who were based in the Western Sydney city of Parramatta. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999-00 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were ...
. He then moved to the Netherlands, where he played for a number of years before moving to
Aston Villa in 2012 to play in the English
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
. Holman moved to the UAE one year later, before returning to Australia to play for
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
in 2016.
Holman represented
Australia over 60 times between 2006 and 2013, scoring eight goals. This included goals at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and the
2011 AFC Asian Cup. He had previously represented Australia several times at youth level, including travelling to the
2004 Summer Olympics and the
2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship.
Early life
Brett Holman was born in
Bankstown
Bankstown is a suburb south west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 16 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is located in the local government area of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, hav ...
, Sydney. He grew up in the Sydney suburb of
Croydon Park. He attended Christian Brothers High School in
Lewisham
Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...
. He played junior football for the Enfield Rovers Soccer Club based in the inner west of Sydney. He left school in late 2000 to pursue his footballing career, signing with the
Parramatta Power
Parramatta Power Soccer Club were a professional association football club who were based in the Western Sydney city of Parramatta. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999-00 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were ...
.
Club career
Holman played for
Northern Spirit and
Parramatta Power
Parramatta Power Soccer Club were a professional association football club who were based in the Western Sydney city of Parramatta. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999-00 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were ...
in Australia before moving to Dutch football club
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club (association football), football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names bef ...
in 2002.
Once in the Netherlands he played for
SBV Excelsior
Excelsior Rotterdam, commonly known as Excelsior, is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football from the 2022–23 season following promotion. The club was found ...
on loan before
NEC Nijmegen signed him in 2006.
On 7 April 2007 Holman scored two goals for
NEC Nijmegen against
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
leaders,
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, w ...
. He was named man of the match, as
NEC Nijmegen won 2–1. He was signed by
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and host ...
manager
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (; born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch former football player and manager. At club level, he served as manager of Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, as well as having three spe ...
in the European summer of 2008 for €3m.
On 1 November 2008 Holman scored his first goal for
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and host ...
in a 3–3 away draw against
SC Heerenveen
Sportclub Heerenveen (; West Frisian: Sportklub It Hearrenfean) is a Dutch football club from Heerenveen. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top level of football in the Netherlands.
History
Sportclub Heerenveen was founded on 20 July ...
at the
Abe Lenstra Stadion
Abe Lenstra Stadion () is a football stadium, located in Heerenveen, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly as a home ground for Eredivisie club Heerenveen. The current capacity is 27.224.
Naming
The stadium is named after Abe Lenstra, general ...
in
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
after coming on as a second-half replacement for
Nick van der Velden.
During most of the
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and host ...
's title-winning
2008–2009 Eredivisie season Holman struggled for starting opportunities and at the end of the campaign was rumoured to be on his way out at the club. However, he was retained and was given more playing time under the new manager.
Under
Dick Advocaat
Dirk Nicolaas Advocaat (; born 27 September 1947) is a Dutch former football player and coach who is currently the head coach of Eerste Divisie side ADO Den Haag.
Advocaat was successful as a football player and as a coach, including three stint ...
Holman has been given substantially more game time, including a number of appearances in the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. On matchday 6, Holman impressed in
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and host ...
's 1–1 draw against
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
.
Aston Villa
In March 2012, Holman signed a pre-contract agreement with
Aston Villa, to join the club when his AZ contract expired that summer.
On 1 July 2012, Holman officially became an Aston Villa player. On 14 July Holman scored on his debut, in a 2–1 victory against
Burton Albion
Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home grou ...
in the first match of pre-season. He then scored his second goal for Villa in another pre-season match, this time against
Peterborough United
Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
in a 2–0 victory on 1 August 2012. On 1 December 2012, Holman scored his first league goal away at
QPR
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football, football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home ...
. He then followed this up with his first
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
goal for Villa, scoring the first of four in a 4–1 victory over
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
in the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
.
On 21 June 2013, he was released by mutual consent at the end of the 2012–13 season. He then joined
Al Nasr in Dubai, signing a two-year contract.
Brisbane Roar
On 1 September 2016, it was confirmed that he had signed for
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
in the
A-League on a 2-year deal where he will be paid within the cap in the first year and as marquee in the second year.
In November 2021, Holman won a legal battle against Brisbane Roar over insurance money the club withheld when he suffered a career-ending injury, with the Roar ordered to pay Holman $369,433.26 for an insurance payout, $41,815 in interest, as well as covering his court costs.
International career
Holman made his international debut for
Australia in 2006 against
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
.
On 19 June 2010, Holman scored the opening goal against
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa in a 1–1 draw, following up from a
Marco Bresciano free kick. On 24 June 2010, he then scored the second goal in the final group stage match against
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
with a swerving 25-yard drive. On 10 January 2011, Holman scored the third goal in Australia's 4–0 win over India in the Asian Cup. Holman scored a crucial equaliser for Australia against Oman in Sydney on 26 March 2013 in a World Cup Qualifier.
On 30 April 2014, Holman announced his retirement from international football.
Career statistics
Club
![Brett Holman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Brett_Holman.jpg)
:
International
International goals
Honours
AZ
*
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
:
2008–09
*
Dutch Super Cup
The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national footba ...
:
2009
Al-Nasr
*
UAE League Cup: 2014–15
*
UAE President's Cup
The UAE President's Cup, or simply the President Cup, is a football tournament that takes place in United Arab Emirates, between clubs in the UAE Pro League and the UAE First Division League. The winner qualifies for the AFC Champions League.
Hi ...
:
2014–15
Australia
*
OFC U-17 Championship
The OFC U-16 Championship is a biennial football tournament for players under the age of 16. The tournament decides the only two qualification spots for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and its representatives at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, w ...
: 2001
Individual
*
FFA Male Footballer of the Year: 2012
See also
*
List of Australia international soccer players with over 50 caps
*
List of foreign football players in the Netherlands
*
List of foreign Premier League players
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
*
OzFootball profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Brett
1984 births
Living people
Association football forwards
Parramatta Power players
Feyenoord players
Brisbane Roar FC players
Excelsior Rotterdam players
NEC Nijmegen players
AZ Alkmaar players
Aston Villa F.C. players
Al-Nasr SC (Dubai) players
Emirates Club players
National Soccer League (Australia) players
Eredivisie players
Eerste Divisie players
Premier League players
Australia international soccer players
Olympic soccer players of Australia
Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Australian expatriate soccer players
Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands
Australian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Expatriate footballers in the United Arab Emirates
Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates
Soccer players from Sydney
2007 AFC Asian Cup players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
A-League Men players
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
UAE Pro League players
Marquee players (A-League Men)
Australian soccer players