Lleyton Andrew Tanabe Brooks (born 21 March 2001) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC.

Lleyton Brooks
Brooks in training with Melbourne Victory in November 2022
Personal information
Full name Lleyton Andrew Tanabe Brooks
Date of birth (2001-03-20) 20 March 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Benowa, Queensland, Australia[1]
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10+12 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Cavalry FC
Youth career
2013–2016 Brisbane Strikers
2016–2017 Brisbane Roar
2017 FFA Centre of Excellence
2018–2019 Brisbane Roar
2019 Melbourne Victory
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 FFA Centre of Excellence 13 (5)
2018–2019 Brisbane Roar NPL 22 (1)
2020–2023 Melbourne Victory 31 (3)
2021–2022 Melbourne Victory NPL 9 (4)
2024– Cavalry FC 2 (0)
International career
2019 Australia U18 4 (2)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Australia
AFF U-19 Youth Championship
First place 2019 Vietnam U-20 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 August 2020

Early life edit

Brooks played youth soccer with the Brisbane Strikers and Brisbane Roar.[2] In 2017, he joined the FFA Centre of Excellence, before later returning to the Brisbane Roar youth.[1] Brooks was part of the 2018–19 Y-League championship-winning Brisbane Roar Youth team.[3]

Club career edit

In 2017, Brooks played with the FFA Centre of Excellence in the NPL ACT.[4]

In 2018, he began playing with the Brisbane Roar NPL in the NPL Queensland, while also training with the first team.[5]

In October 2019, Brooks joined Melbourne Victory in the A-League.[6][7] On 8 August 2020, he made his debut, in a substitute appearance, against Perth Glory.[8] On 10 April 2021, he scored his first goal, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Newcastle Jets.[9][10] On 6 June 2021, he scored a last minute equaliser in injury time against league leaders Melbourne City.[11] In his debut season with the Victory, Brooks made 9 appearances and scored 2 goals; with his performances earning him Melbourne Victory's Young Player of the Season award for the 2020-21 season.[12] Following the season, he re-signed with the club on a new one-year scholarship contract.[13] In February 2022, he signed another extension, through the end of the 2022-23 season.[14] On May 7, 2022, while playing for the second team in the NPL Victoria 3, he scored a hat trick against Ballarat City FC.[15] Brooks scored his third goal for Victory in the 2022–23 A-League Men season on 23 April 2023, sealing the winner in a 2–1 home win over Macarthur FC and helping his side avoid the wooden spoon.[16][17] He was released at the end of the 2022-23 season.[18]

In December 2023, he joined Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC on a two year contract, beginning in the 2024 season.[19][20] He made his debut for Cavalry on February 27, in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Orlando City SC.[21]

International career edit

Born in Australia, Brooks is also of Japanese descent.[1]

In July 2019, he was named to the Australia U20 squad for a camp.[22] He was then named to the squad for the Australia U18 team for the 2019 AFF U-18 Youth Championship.[23] On 7 August 2019, he scored two goals against Cambodia U18 in the tournament opener.[24]

Personal life edit

His father Craig worked as a camera operator for Network 10.[25]

Career statistics edit

As of April 23, 2024[26]
Club statistics
Club Season League Playoffs National Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FFA Centre of Excellence 2017[27] NPL ACT 13 5 13 5
Brisbane Roar NPL 2018[28] NPL Queensland 10 0 10 0
2019[29] 12 1 12 1
Total 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 1
Melbourne Victory NPL 2021[30] NPL Victoria 3 3 1 3 1
2022[31] 6 3 1 0 7 3
Total 9 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 4
Melbourne Victory FC 2019–20 A-League Men 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2020–21 9 2 0 0 9 2
2021–22 8 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 12 1
2022–23 12 1 1 0 13 1
Total 31 3 0 0 5 1 0 0 36 4
Cavalry FC 2024 Canadian Premier League 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 0
Career total 77 13 1 0 6 1 1 0 85 14

Honours edit

International edit

Australia U18

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Kovacs, Andrew (30 March 2023). "50 Melbourne Victory Fc Best Players of All Time". Metro League.
  2. ^ Melgar, Alejandro (26 December 2023). "Cavalry FC sign Australian forward Lleyton Brooks to 2-year contract". CityNews.
  3. ^ "Western Sydney Wanderers FC Youth vs Brisbane Roar FC Youth, Foxtel Y-League, Grand Final, 1st Feb 2019". Foxtel Y-League. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  4. ^ Tiernan, Eamonn (1 July 2017). "NPL Capital Football: FFA Centre of Excellence teenagers thrash Monaro Panthers". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  5. ^ "Young Roar thriving under NPL pressure". Brisbane Roar FC. 25 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Victory locks in full-time youth players". Melbourne Victory. 22 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Cavalry FC sign Australian youth international Lleyton Brooks". Canadian Premier League. 26 December 2023.
  8. ^ Kalinic, Dejan (8 August 2020). "Report: Glory 0-4 Victory". Melbourne Victory FC.
  9. ^ "A-League: Victory snap winless streak while Maclaren's scoring run rolls on". FotMob. 10 April 2021.
  10. ^ Warren, Adrian (10 April 2021). "Sub ends Victory's winless A-League run". The Canberra Times.
  11. ^ Lynch, Michael (6 June 2021). "Brooks' leveller may spare Victory spoon, Arnold seeks Socceroos goals". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  12. ^ "Recap: 2020/21 Victory Medal". Melbourne Victory FC. 5 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Brooks and Kirdar re-sign with Victory". Melbourne Victory FC. 18 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Melbourne Victory re-signs Lleyton Brooks and Jay Barnett". Melbourne Victory FC. 1 February 2022.
  15. ^ "NPL report: Victory 6-0 Ballarat". Melbourne Victory FC. 7 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Lleyton Brooks rescues point for Melbourne Victory in derby". ESPN. 17 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Men's Match Report: Brooks the hero as Victory snatch all three points". Melbourne Victory FC. 23 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Melbourne Victory Player Update". Melbourne Victory FC. 4 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Cavalry FC Signs Lleyton Brooks to 2024 Roster". Cavalry FC. 26 December 2023.
  20. ^ Jacques, John (26 December 2023). "Cavalry Inks Australian Forward Lleyton Brooks". Northern Tribune.
  21. ^ Tierney, Mitchell (27 February 2024). "Match Analysis: Cavalry FC go down swinging in Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Orlando City SC". Canadian Premier League.
  22. ^ "Gary van Egmond names maiden Young Socceroos squad". Socceroos. 17 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Young Socceroos squad finalised for 2019 AFF U-18 Championship". Socceroos. 18 August 2019.
  24. ^ Green, Samuel (18 August 2019). "Young Socceroos hit five in AFF U-18 Championship opener". Socceroos.
  25. ^ Pisani, Sasha (23 April 2023). "Victory's unlikely hero whose last-gasp winner was sensationally captured by his father... a cameraman!". A-League.
  26. ^ Lleyton Brooks at Soccerway
  27. ^ "Lleyton Brooks 2017 NPL Stats". MyGameDay.
  28. ^ "Lleyton Brooks 2018 NPL Stats". MyGameDay.
  29. ^ "Lleyton Brooks 2019 NPL Stats". MyGameDay.
  30. ^ "Lleyton Brooks 2021 NPL Stats". MyGameDay.
  31. ^ "Lleyton Brooks 2022 NPL Stats". MyGameDay.

External links edit