 Ingham playing for Melbourne Victory in a friendly match againstPort Melbourne, 9 August 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jai Emile Mau'u Ingham | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-08-14)14 August 1993 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Lismore, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Malvern City | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Brisbane Roar | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Olympic FC | 23 | (14) |
| 2013–2014 | Brisbane Roar NPL | 11 | (13) |
| 2014–2015 | Brisbane Roar | 1 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Hume City | 26 | (9) |
| 2016–2019 | Melbourne Victory | 52 | (4) |
| 2019 | Central Coast Mariners | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Brisbane Roar | 12 | (0) |
| 2021 | United City | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Gold Coast Knights | 0 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | South Melbourne | 28 | (2) |
| 2023– | Malvern City | 40 | (12) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017– | New Zealand | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 24 December 2018 | |||
Jai Emile Mau'u Ingham (born 14 August 1993) is a professionalfootballer who plays awinger forVictorian State League 1 South-East clubMalvern City. Born in Australia and of New Zealand and Samoan descent, Ingham has represented theNew Zealand internationally.
Ingham started his career withOlympic FC seniors in theNational Premier League while training to be an electrician.[2] In July 2013, he was picked as one of Australia's top eight players outside the A-League.[3] Selected in the QLD NPL football team of the year 2013.
At the beginning of the2013–14 National Youth League, Ingham joinedBrisbane Roar's youth side.[4][5] Scoring 13 goals in 11 appearances. Including a second half hat-trick that secured victory over Adelaide.[6]
On 24 January 2014, Ingham debuted for the senior team, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of a 2–1 victory overWellington Phoenix.[7]
Ingham drew positive reactions while atNational Premier Leagues Victoria side Hume City during the2015 FFA Cup.
Ingham trained with Melbourne Victory for a month ahead of the 2016 January transfer window and was signed as the club's first use of the Mature Age Rookie salary cap allowance.[8] Ingham made his debut for Melbourne Victory against theCentral Coast Mariners on 8 January 2016, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute forFahid Ben Khalfallah in an eventual 3–3 draw.[9]
Ingham made his first start for Melbourne Victory in their opening2016 AFC Champions League match againstShanghai SIPG F.C. on 24 February 2016, in what was only his third appearance for the club. During the match, he scored his first goal for the club, scoring in the 31st minute in an eventual 2–1 win. He then went on to make his firstA-League starting appearance on 6 March against theCentral Coast Mariners, setting up bothBesart Berisha andFahid Ben Khalfallah for goals and was voted best on ground in a 2–0 win atCentral Coast Stadium. Ingham scored the equaliser againstJuventus FC in a pre-2016–17 A-League season friendly match at theMCG.Ingham scored his first A-League goal for Melbourne Victory on 12 November 2016, against theWestern Sydney Wanderers, in an eventual 3–0 win.
Ingham has an impressive AFC Champions League record for Melbourne Victory with 9 appearances 3 goals and 1 assist. Due to this Fox Sports commentator Andy Harper gave him the nickname "The Asian Specialist," after his third goal in Asian Champions League against Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande, 22 April 2019.
Ingham was released by Melbourne Victory at the conclusion of the2018–19 A-League season.[10][11][12]
In June 2019, Ingham joinedCentral Coast Mariners on a two-year contract among a host of signings under new coachAlen Stajcic.[13]
In August 2019, less than 2 months after signing withCentral Coast Mariners, Ingham negotiated a mutual contract release with the club and joinedBrisbane Roar.[14] In March 2021, Ingham departed Brisbane Roar.[15]
Ingham signed a contract withPhilippines Football League sideUnited City as one of their foreign players and the final player in a slew of new signings.[16] This came a few hours after it was announced thatBrisbane Roar and Ingham had mutually agreed to terminate the player's contract.
After a solitary season withNPL Victoria sideSouth Melbourne FC in 2022, Ingham joinedVictorian State League 1 South-East sideMalvern City for the 2023 season.
He was also announced as the club's MiniRoos technical director in 2024.[17]
In May 2016, Ingham was named to theSamoan national squad for the2016 OFC Nations Cup[18] however he did not travel to Papua New Guinea for the tournament and was listed as an absentee.[19]
In March 2017, Ingham was called up to theNew Zealand national squad forWorld Cup qualifiers, along with his brotherDane.[20] He made his debut on 28 March 2017 againstFiji.[21]
Jai is the cousin of Samoan internationalJohnny Hall[22] and brother ofNewcastle Jets playerDane Ingham.[23] In addition to holding an Australian passport, Ingham also holds Samoan and New Zealand passports,[24][25] as he has a Samoan-New Zealand mother and an Australian father.
Melbourne Victory
