Talia Younis (born 26 October 2008) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for A-League Women side Western Sydney Wanderers. She is the first player born after 2008 to feature in the A-League.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 October 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Australia | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Western Sydney Wanderers | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2019– | Western Sydney Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Western Sydney Wanderers | 15 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Australia U17 | 11 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 May 2024 | |||
Raised in Western Sydney, Younis made her first-team debut in October 2022, becoming the youngest debutant in the A-League aged 14 years and 361 days. Her record stood for two weeks before teammate Ischia Brooking made her debut aged 14 years and 347 days old.[1][2]
Club career
editWestern Sydney Wanderers
editYounis started playing for Western Sydney Wanderers in 2019, after trailling three times for the Wanderers Academy.[3] She made her A-League Women debut for Wanderers on 22 October 2023 in a 3–0 defeat to Wellington Phoenix at Western Sydney Stadium.[4] Aged 14 years and 361 days, Younis became the youngest debutant in the A-League, breaking Sam Kerr's record who debuted aged 15 years and 45 days.[4][5][6] She also became the first player born after the inauguration of the competition in 2008 to make her maiden appearance.[5][6]
International career
editAn Australian youth international, Younis was called up to Australia under-17 squad ahead of the 2024 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualification.[7][8][9] She scored a goal each in Australia's 11–0 win over Mongolia,[10] and 6–2 victory over Philippines in Hanoi.[11][12]
Personal life
editRaised in Western Sydney, Younis has an older brother, Marcus Younis, who plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League Men.[13][14] Her father, Ray, was a former National Soccer League player and currently works as the Wanderers' conditioning coach.[13]
References
edit- ^ Rosengarten, Jake (5 November 2023). "All-time A-Leagues record broken for the second time in 14 DAYS". A-League. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Late drama sees Wanderers share points with Newcastle". Western Sydney Wanderers. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Wanderers secure rising star Talia Younis". Western Sydney Wanderers. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Phoenix see off Wanderers with second-half flurry". Western Sydney Wanderers. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b Sherlock, Harry (22 October 2023). "Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr sees long-standing A-League record broken by 14-year-old Talia Younis". Goal. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b Comito, Matt (22 October 2023). "One of Sam Kerr's long-standing A-Leagues records has just been toppled... by a 14-year-old!". A-League. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Younis named in CommBank Junior Matildas squad for 2024 AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup Round 1 Qualifiers". Western Sydney Wanderers. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Younis named in CommBank Junior Matildas squad selected for Korea Republic International Series". Western Sydney Wanderers. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Younis named in CommBank Junior Matildas squad for upcoming camp". Western Sydney Wanderers. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Australia kick off #AFCU17W Round 1 Qualifiers with an 11-0 win over Mongolia | Football Australia". Football Australia. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Younis strikes in CommBank Junior Matildas 6-2 victory over the Philippines in their #AFCU17W Round 2 Qualifiers". Western Sydney Wanderers. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "CommBank Junior Matildas record a 6-2 victory over the Philippines in their #AFCU17W Round 2 Qualifiers | Football Australia". Football Australia. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b "After breaking Sam Kerr's record, the A-Leagues' youngest-ever player has her eyes on a bright future". ABC News. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Younis' meteoric rise". Western Sydney Wanderers. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.