 Shane Smeltz withBorneo FC in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shane Edward Smeltz | ||
| Date of birth | (1981-09-29)29 September 1981 (age 44) | ||
| Place of birth | Göppingen,West Germany | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1998 | QAS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999 | Gold Coast City | ||
| 1999–2001 | Brisbane Strikers | 25 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Napier City Rovers | 21 | (20) |
| 2002–2003 | Adelaide City | 23 | (7) |
| 2003–2004 | Adelaide United | 7 | (1) |
| 2004 | MetroStars | 8 | (2) |
| 2005 | Mansfield Town | 5 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | AFC Wimbledon | 43 | (19) |
| 2006–2007 | Halifax Town | 31 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Wellington Phoenix | 39 | (21) |
| 2009–2010 | Gold Coast United | 28 | (21) |
| 2010–2011 | Gençlerbirliği | 6 | (1) |
| 2011 | Gold Coast United | 10 | (7) |
| 2011–2014 | Perth Glory | 58 | (28) |
| 2014–2016 | Sydney FC | 43 | (12) |
| 2016 | Kedah FA | 18 | (11) |
| 2016–2017 | Wellington Phoenix | 12 | (3) |
| 2017 | Borneo | 20 | (5) |
| 2020–2023 | Gold Coast United | 45 | (28) |
| 2023 | Guiseley | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 445 | (188) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | New Zealand U20 | 6 | (3) |
| 2004 | New Zealand U23 | 5 | (7) |
| 2012 | New Zealand Olympic (O.P.) | 5 | (2) |
| 2003–2017 | New Zealand | 58 | (24) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Shane Edward Smeltz (born 29 September 1981) is a New Zealand former professionalfootballer who played as astriker.[2]
Smeltz had spent much of his early career playing in Australia before moving to England where he played for two and a half seasons. He played mostly in the A-League from 2007 onwards, with the exception of brief stints withGençlerbirliği in Turkey andKedah FA in Malaysia. He ended his professional playing career with Indonesian teamBorneo F.C., before returning to the sport at a semi-professional level.
Smeltz is the all-time second-highest goalscorer in the A-League and was the top-goalscorer forGold Coast United. He scored 24 goals in 58 international appearances forNew Zealand and played at the2010 FIFA World Cup.
Smeltz was born inGöppingen,West Germany to ethnicGerman parents with New Zealand citizenship. Six months later he moved to New Zealand. In November 1987, at the age of six, Smeltz moved to theGold Coast in Queensland, Australia, where he pursued a career in football through theQueensland Academy of Sport and was brought up for the remainder of his adolescent years while holding a New Zealand visa. Smeltz was granted dual-citizenship at the age of 23, becoming a dual-citizen of New Zealand and Australia. He attendedPalm Beach Currumbin High School on the Gold Coast during his teenage years and was classmates with future professional surfersMick Fanning andJoel Parkinson.[3]
Smeltz lives inSydney with his wife Nikki (who later became a federal election candidate forUnited Australia Party) and daughters Bonnie and Scarlett but spends the off season on the Gold Coast and still considers it to be his home.[4]
Smeltz currently worksplayer agent, and represents a number of players.[5][6]
Smeltz played for a variety of amateur and semi-professional Australian clubs before he played a brief five match spell forMansfield Town in the EnglishFootball League Two in 2005.[7] After being released by Mansfield he signed forAFC Wimbledon in March 2005, where he made 60 competitive appearances and scored 26 goals.[8][9] He played the following season forHalifax Town in theConference National.
Smeltz returned to New Zealand in 2007, signing a two-year deal with theWellington Phoenix in theA-League. In his first season, he finished second in the Golden Boot race with nine goals from 19 appearances. In the2008–09 season, Smeltz scored a record-equalling 12 goals for the A-League season proper, resulting in the A-League Golden Boot 2008-09 and also goal of the season for his winning strike againstMelbourne Victory atWestpac Stadium in round 13. In 2008–09 season Smeltz was voted the A-League's best player and was awarded the Johnny Warren Medal.[10]
In November 2008 the Phoenix lost its battle to retain Smeltz for the 2009 season as he signed a three-year deal withA-League expansion clubGold Coast United.[11]
Smeltz scored nine goals on his Gold Coast United debut as Miron Bleiberg's men recorded a 12–1 victory in their inaugural outing, a friendly against Mudgeeraba SC.
On 8 August 2009, Smeltz scored his club's first goal in their first A-League game againstBrisbane Roar. In the following week Smeltz scored an impressivefour goals againstNorth Queensland Fury, which included a penalty. Smeltz and Gold Coast recorded their first loss to theNewcastle Jets at the next round, notable for being the only game he had not scored a goal.
A week later, Smeltz rebounded from his club's first loss to help in the win againstSydney FC. In the process he added another two goals to his tally taking him to an outstanding 8 goals from 5 games, his single man goal count was greater than any other club's overall amount in the league.[12]
With 19A-League goals to his name, he was formerly the holder for mostA League goals in a season.
On 12 July 2010, after a stellar season withGold Coast United, it was announced Smeltz had agreed to terms with Chinese clubShandong Luneng on a two-year contract subject to passing a medical.[13] On 17 July 2010, it was announced that Smeltz had "changed his mind about China and decided to return home", just five days into his contract. There was some confusion after his decision to return home in regards to which club he was contracted to.
Shandong Luneng had paid the transfer fee to Gold Coast United, but a Football Federation Australia source confirmed that Gold Coast United had not dispatched Smeltz's International Transfer Clearance form, meaning Smeltz was therefore free to rejoin them without any possibility of an international tug-of-war over his services.
On 17 July 2010, Gold Coast United ownerClive Palmer publicly stated that he is "hopeful of retaining him for the coming season."
On 24 August, his overseas career was given a lifeline when he was signed by TurkishSüper Lig clubGençlerbirliği.[14] Smeltz made his debut for the club in their 2–1 home win overIstanbul BB. Smeltz scored his first goal for the club in the 1–0 home win overAnkaragucu with a 45th-minute penalty.
On 20 March 2011 it was announced thatPerth Glory and Smeltz signed a three-year contract worth A$4.1 million with theA-League club as a marquee.[15] In his second appearance in the League for Perth, he scored a brace to take him to 51 League goals in the A-League, becoming only the second player to have scored a half-century in the competition next toArchie Thompson. On 24 March 2012 hescored all 4 goals in a 4–2 win againstMelbourne Victory.
On 18 May 2014, it was announced that Smeltz would be parting ways with Perth Glory after three years at the club, to joinSydney FC on a one-year deal.[16] After the 2014–15 season, Smeltz signed a 2-year contract extension with Sydney, taking him to the end of the 2016–17 season.[17]
On 12 July 2016, Smelz joinedMalaysian Super League clubKedah FA.[18] On 20 July 2016, he made his debut goal for Kedah, againstT-Team inMalaysia Cup, scoring two goals.[19]
On 18 December 2016, Smeltz returned to New Zealand, signing withWellington Phoenix until the end of the season.[20]
On 9 April 2017, Smeltz joined Indonesian club sideBorneo in theLiga 1.[21]
Following an 18-year career, Smeltz retired from professional football on 11 February 2018.[22]
He subsequently signed withNPL Queensland teamGold Coast United in January 2020.[23]
After returning to England for family and work, in January 2023 Smeltz signed forGuiseley AFC, a 7th-tier semi-professional club based in theLeeds suburb ofGuiseley.[2][24]
Smeltz has played for the under-20, under-23 and seniorNew Zealand national teams.[25][26] He scored his first goal for the All Whites, an away friendly on 25 April 2006, againstChile. In that game Smeltz also became the firstAFC Wimbledon player to win international honours, and the first to become an international goalscorer.
In May 2007, he was the scorer of both New Zealand goals in an impressive 2–2 draw againstWales.
On 19 November 2007, following his impressive form withWellington Phoenix in theA-League and consistent performances for the All Whites, Smeltz was voted New Zealand footballer of the year, ahead ofFA Premier League starRyan Nelsen andCeltic strikerChris Killen.[27] In December 2008, Smeltz was named Oceania federation player of 2007.[citation needed]
Smeltz travelled to South Africa as part of the New Zealand squad for both the2009 Confederations Cup[28][29] and2010 World Cup Finals. He scored a goal at the latter against 2006 World Cup winnersItaly inNelspruit, making him the first ever A-League player to score in the World Cup Finals.
He was part of the New Zealand men's team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[30]
During a World Cup qualifying match againstNew Caledonia on 22 March 2013, Smeltz was the victim of a high boot to the face in the opposing penalty area, leaving him bloodied.[31] Smeltz scored his last international goal in a 2015 friendly againstMyanmar. He was a part of the New Zealand squad that played in the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
| New Zealand national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | 4 | 1 |
| 2007 | 6 | 6 |
| 2008 | 2 | 4 |
| 2009 | 9 | 4 |
| 2010 | 8 | 2 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 11 | 6 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 55 | 24 |
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Napier City Rovers | 2002 | National Soccer League | 19 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | |||||
Napier City Rovers
MetroStars
AFC Wimbledon
Perth Glory
Sydney FC
Kedah FA
New Zealand
Individual
New Zealand squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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