 Maclaren at the2018 FIFA World Cup withAustralia | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jamie Maclaren[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-07-29)29 July 1993 (age 32)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sunbury, Victoria, Australia[2] | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mohun Bagan | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2003 | Sunbury United | ||
| 2003–2009 | Green Gully | ||
| 2009–2013 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2015 | Perth Glory | 38 | (11) |
| 2014–2015 | Perth Glory NPL | 5 | (11) |
| 2015–2017 | Brisbane Roar | 53 | (40) |
| 2017–2019 | Darmstadt 98 | 7 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | →Hibernian (loan) | 27 | (9) |
| 2019–2024 | Melbourne City | 142 | (103) |
| 2024– | Mohun Bagan | 25 | (12) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011 | Scotland U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Australia U20 | 17 | (9) |
| 2014–2016 | Australia U23 | 15 | (9) |
| 2016– | Australia | 32 | (11) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:30, 7 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 January 2024 | |||
Jamie Maclaren (born 29 July 1993) is an Australian professionalsoccer player who plays as astriker forIndian Super League clubMohun Bagan and theAustralia national team. He previously played forMelbourne City,SV Darmstadt,Perth Glory,Brisbane Roar andHibernian. Maclaren initially representedScotland at youth level, but has since appeared forAustralia at both youth and senior international level.
Maclaren is a five timeA-League Golden Boot winner asA-League top scorer in the2016–17 (19 goals),2019–20 (22 goals),2020–21 (25 goals) and2021–22 (15 goals) season,2022–23 and 24 goals). With 154 goals across 3 clubs, Maclaren is the A-League's all time top goalscorer, Melbourne City's all time top goalscorer, as well as Brisbane Roar's third highest all time goalscorer.
Maclaren grew up in the north-western suburbs ofMelbourne. He first joined the junior side of local team Sunbury United at the early age of four or five, then switched to the youth ranks of nearby Victorian Premier League (nowNational Premier Leagues Victoria) sideGreen Gully in 2003, where although he continued to play against older players, his team was very successful, at one point winning around 50 games in a row.[citation needed]
In July 2009, aged 15, he was invited to trial forBlackburn Rovers' under-16 squad. In his first trial match he scored two goals againstDerby County's under-16 squad, followed by ahat-trick againstManchester United, which resulted in a contract offer from Rovers.[4]
Maclaren benefited from the mentorship of fellow AustraliansVince Grella andBrett Emerton at Blackburn, where he soon progressed to be a regular under-21 squad player and training with the senior team.[5] However, after four years in England having not broken into the first team, he was released by Rovers at the end of the 2012–13 season.[6]
Seeking first-team game time, Maclaren elected to return to Australia and signed a three-year contract withA-League clubPerth Glory at the beginning of the 2013–14 season.[7] Maclaren made his Perth Glory debut, where he played 90 minutes, in a 3–1 loss againstAdelaide United.[8] Maclaren then scored his first goal for Perth Glory weeks later, on 27 October 2013, in a 1–0 win overMelbourne City[9] and scored his second Perth Glory goal on 23 November 2013[10]
The 2014–15 season was his breakout year, scoring 10 goals in 23 appearances across all competitions, and earning the April nomination for the league's young player of the year award.[11] He also made a number of appearances in theNational Premier Leagues side scoring 11 goals in just five games.[12][13] Maclaren scored his first senior club hat-trick, scoring all three of Glory's goals in a 3–1 win against Melbourne City on 19 April 2015.[14]
At the end of the 2014–15 season, in the fallout from thePerth Glory salary cap scandal, Glory agreed to release all contracted players who wished to leave the club, with the sole exception of Maclaren. In response, he lodged a formal breach-of-contract notice against Perth Glory to the players' Union,Professional Footballers Australia.[15][16] Maclaren was subsequently released by Glory on 29 June 2015.[17]
During the A-League off-season, on 5 July 2015,Brisbane Roar signed Maclaren to a two-year deal.[18]
Maclaren made his debut with the Roar against theWestern Sydney Wanderers on 8 October 2015. In the same game, he scored a brace for the Roar, with goals in the 9th and 34th minutes of the match.[19] Later that season Maclaren reached his 50th senior A-League appearance, scoring a goal and assisting another against his former club, Perth Glory. He scored his second senior club hat-trick in a win againstMelbourne Victory on 12 March 2016.[20]
Maclaren finished the A-League regular season with 18 goals, second in the Golden Boot race toMelbourne City'sUruguayan strikerBruno Fornaroli, however his season tally was enough to become the all-time A-League record for an Australian player. Maclaren scored two more goals in the finals series to make his final club goal count 20 from 25 games. At the end of the 2015–16 season, he was awarded as the Young Player of the Year by the FFA.[21]
Maclaren scored 19 goals for the Roar in the2016–17 A-League regular season, tying withBesart Berisha for the Golden Boot.[22]
In May 2017, Maclaren joined German2. Bundesliga clubDarmstadt 98 signing a three-year deal.[23] He made his debut in the second round of the season as a 63rd minute substitution in a 1–1 draw away toFC Kaiserslautern on 4 August.[24]
Maclaren was loaned to Scottish clubHibernian in January 2018, in the hope that more playing time would boost his chances of being selected by Australia for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[25][26] He made hisScottish Premiership debut in a 1–0 win atDundee on 24 January.[27] Maclaren scored his first goal for Hibs on 3 February, converting a match-winningpenalty againstRangers.[28] He scored the second goal in a 2–0 win for Hibs in anEdinburgh derby on 9 March,[29] and helped to delayCeltic's title celebrations by scoring the first goal in a 2–1 win for Hibs on 21 April.[30] He ended his season in Scotland by scoring ahat-trick in a 5–5 draw with Rangers.[31]
After the loan spell ended, Maclaren said that he hoped Darmstadt would make him available for transfer.[32] On 3 August, Maclaren returned to Hibernian on a season-long loan.[33] This spell was less productive, as Maclaren only scored one goal and he struggled to hold down a regular place in the starting lineup.[34] Hibs terminated the loan on 31 January 2019.[34]
On 31 January 2019, Maclaren signed forA-League clubMelbourne City on a marquee deal to see him at the club till May 2022. He scored in his first game for City with a backheel againstAdelaide United on 9 February. He won the Golden Boot that season with 22 goals, three more than the nearest competitor,Adam Le Fondre.[citation needed]
On 6 March 2021, Maclaren scored and assisted two inMelbourne City's 6–0 away win overcity rivalsMelbourne Victory.[35] On the next meeting on 17 April 2021, he became the first player to score five goals in the A-League regular season history, and just the second of all time, as the hosts won 7–0.[36] He became Melbourne City's record goalscorer with 58 goals on 13 May 2021, when his team won 4–1 againstAdelaide United at home overtakingBruno Fornaroli.[37]
After 5 and a half seasons at the club, on 30 April 2024 it was announced that Maclaren would leave Melbourne City at the conclusion of the2023–24 A-League season, in the lead up to the club's elimination final against derby rivalsMelbourne Victory.[38]
Maclaren played his final match for Melbourne City in aMelbourne Derbyelimination final againstMelbourne Victory. Maclaren was substituted off in the 75th minute of the match, having registered just 8 touches in the match, as Melbourne City lost 3–2 on penalties after the match ended 1–1 in regulation time.[39]
In July 2024, Maclaren signed withIndian Super League clubMohun Bagan on a two-year deal.[40][41] On 23 September, he made his Mohun Bagan debut as a 80th minute substitute in a 3–2 win vsNorthEast United.[42] Maclaren scored his first goal for the club on 5 October, heading the opening goal in the 8th minute vs their city rivalMohammedan in a 3–0 win.[43] In the next game on 19 October, he scored the opening goal in theKolkata Derby against arch rivals East Bengal.
Maclaren international career started when he was called up forScotland under-19, who he was eligible to play for through his father Donald.[44] Maclaren made two appearances for the team, playing against Denmark and Norway. Maclaren was then involved with theAustralian under-20 squad, and scored a goal against the hosts Turkey in the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[45]
Maclaren joined theAustralian under-23 team ("Olyroos") for2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification Group F games held in Taiwan in March 2015, which doubled as Olympic qualification. He played in two of the Olyroos' three games, scoring a hat-trick againstHong Kong[46] and another two goals againstMyanmar,[47] achieving the second highest tally for the qualification stage out of the entireAFC.[48] Maclaren was named in the Australian squad for the2016 AFC U-23 Championship,[49] where he played every minute of Australia's campaign in three games against the UAE, Vietnam and Jordan, scoring against Vietnam.[50][51][52]
In February 2016, Maclaren announced that and pledged to play forAustralia rather than Scotland, but later expressed his pride at having been selected for the young Scots.[44] In May 2016, Maclaren was called up to the Socceroos for the first time for a friendly match away toEngland,[53] in which he started.[54][55] After a solid start to the2016–17 A-League season, Maclaren was called up again to the Socceroos squad in November 2016 for Australia's2018 World Cup Qualifying Third Round match againstThailand in Bangkok. He started the match, playing 57 minutes in the eventual 2–2 draw before being substituted forNathan Burns. He was again called up for the final two Round 3 matches in August and September 2017, coming on in the 71st minute of the crucial final match at home to Thailand, which the Socceroos won 2–1.[56]
Maclaren dropped out of the Australia squad later in 2017, due to his lack of playing time at Darmstadt. A major factor in him seeking a loan move in January 2018 was to try and earn selection for the2018 FIFA World Cup squad.[57] He was named in a 32-man provisional squad for the World Cup,[58] but was cut from the 26-man squad to go to a pre-tournament camp in Turkey.[59] Following an injury toTomi Juric, Maclaren was added to the training squad.[60] He played in a preparatory friendly match againstCzech Republic,[61] and was selected in the final 23-man squad.[62]
Incoming Socceroo coachGraham Arnold selected Maclaren in the Australian squad for the2019 AFC Asian Cup.[63] He came on as a 64th minute substitute in the only pre-tournament friendly againstOman, and started all three matches in the group stage; a loss againstJordan, having a potential equaliser ruled offside, the second match againstPalestine, scoring his first international goal in the 18th minute with a header from aTom Rogic cross, and the last game, a win againstSyria. Maclaren continued in the starting XI for the Socceroos in the first knockout stage match, againstUzbekistan, playing the first 75 minutes before being replaced byApostolos Giannou in the eventual win on penalties. He was named to start alongside Giannou in a changed two-striker formation in the Quarter-Final against hostsUAE.
On 10 October 2019, Maclaren scored his first international hat-trick in a 5–0 win againstNepal during the2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[64]
On 16 November 2023, Maclaren scored his second international hat-trick during the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match againstBangladesh.
Maclaren holds a British passport, and is half-Maltese through his mother;[44] this led toMalta approaching Maclaren to play for them, however, he turned down the request.[65] His Scottish father Donald had a short career as a footballer withDunfermline Athletic (after failing to break through atHeart of Midlothian) prior to emigrating to Australia,[66] while his paternal uncleRoss MacLaren played in the English leagues withShrewsbury Town,Derby County andSwindon Town.[55][67]
Maclaren is a fan ofPremier League clubAston Villa.[68]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Perth Glory | 2013–14 | A-League | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 9 | |||||
| Total | 38 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 40 | 11 | |||||
| Brisbane Roar | 2015–16 | A-League | 25 | 20 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 20 | |||
| 2016–17 | 28 | 20 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 3 | — | 35 | 23 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 40 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 3 | — | 61 | 43 | ||||
| Darmstadt 98 | 2017–18 | 2. Bundesliga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Hibernian (loan) | 2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 8 | |||
| 2018–19 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 27 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 9 | |||
| Melbourne City | 2018–19 | A-League Men | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 5 | |||
| 2019–20 | 25 | 23 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | 30 | 29 | |||||
| 2020–21 | 24 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 25 | ||||||
| 2021–22 | 27 | 16 | — | — | 6[c] | 2 | — | 33 | 18 | |||||
| 2022–23 | 29 | 24 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 24 | |||||
| 2023–24 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 3 | — | 6[c] | 1 | — | 37 | 14 | ||||
| Total | 142 | 103 | 10 | 9 | — | 12 | 3 | — | 164 | 115 | ||||
| Mohun Bagan | 2024–25 | Indian Super League | 25 | 12 | – | – | – | — | 25 | 12 | ||||
| 2025–26 | 0 | 0 | 2[e] | 2 | 2[f] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 3[h] | 2 | 8 | 5 | ||
| Total | 25 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 292 | 175 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 336 | 195 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | |
| Total | 32 | 11 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 January 2019 | Rashid Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 10 |  Palestine | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup |
| 2 | 10 October 2019 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia | 14 |  Nepal | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 4 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 5 | 15 October 2019 | National Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan | 15 |  Chinese Taipei | 6–1 | 7–1 | |
| 6 | 7 June 2021 | Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | 16 | 2–0 | 5–1 | ||
| 7 | 27 January 2022 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | 20 |  Vietnam | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 1 February 2022 | Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman | 21 |  Oman | 1–0 | 2–2 | |
| 9 | 16 November 2023 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | 30 |  Bangladesh | 5–0 | 7–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 11 | 7–0 |
Melbourne City
Mohun Bagan
Individual
Australia squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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