Throughout the history of the Isuzu UTE A-League, there have been a host of top quality foreigners who have lit up the competition.
For some of these players, their impact on the league during their time in Australia can’t be understated – both on and off the field.
From Shinji Ono, to Besart Berisha, Alessandro Del Piero and Thomas Broich. The list goes on and on.
To date, 89 countries have been represented in the Isuzu UTE A-League. Here, KEEPUP looks at a selection of the finest, picking out the best player from a range of the globe’s top contributors.
* Players who have represented a different country to their birth are eligible for this list.
Argentina
Marcos Flores and Marcelo Carrusca were two of the best attacking midfielders the Isuzu UTE A-League has seen. When comparing their respective impacts on the competition, Flores’ was arguably greater in a shorter time-frame, while Carrusca’s success was over a longer duration.
Upon arriving at Adelaide United in 2010, Flores took the league by storm, winning the Johnny Warren Medal off the back of an incredible campaign – but didn’t quite reach the same heights in his stints at Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets.
Although, he did still have some real moments of quality at Victory.
Carrusca also made an enormous impact in the City of Churches, but experienced greater team success to go with his individual accolades during his five-year stint at the Reds – playing a starring role in Adelaide’s Premiership/Championship winning team in 2016.
Marcos Flores
- Clubs: Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory, Central Coast, Newcastle Jets
- Games: 73
- Goals: 17
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2010-11 Johnny Warren Medal
Marcelo Carrusca
- Clubs: Adelaide United, Melbourne City, Western Sydney Wanderers
- Games: 129
- Goals: 26
Isuzu UTE A-league honours
- 2015-16 Premiership/Championship (Adelaide)
- PFA Team of the Season (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15)
- A-Leagues All Star (2013, 2014)
Austria
On the topic of immediate impacts down under, how about Marc Janko?
The giant striker arrived at Sydney FC in 2015 as their marquee replacement for Alessandro Del Piero and the expectations were high after a successful career all across for Europe and as a regular for for Austria’s national team.
He had all the tools to succeed in the Isuzu UTE A-League and he did exactly that. After a bit of a slow start that saw him fire home only four goals in 11 games (including an incredible volley in his debut game) – Janko exploded in the second-half of the season.
Janko went on an incredible scoring run, firing home 12 goals in seven successive games – which was at the time the record for scoring in consecutive games.
His 16 goals that season ultimately won him the Golden Boot, as his form helped the Sky Blues into second on the table and the Grand Final where they fell short against Melbourne Victory.
Marc Janko
- Clubs: Sydney FC
- Games: 24
- Goals: 16
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2014-15 Golden Boot
- PFA Team of the Season (2014-15)
- Sydney FC Team of the Decade (2005-2015)
Barbados
You can easily make an argument that Paul Ifill has been the best player to wear a Wellington Phoenix jersey.
After over a decade playing all throughout England for the likes of Millwall, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace, Ifill arrived in New Zealand in 2009 and hit the ground running immediately – helping the ‘Nix to the semi-finals, their deepest finals run yet.
In his first season, the English-born Barbados international scored 12 goals and dished off assists, including a penalty in their shootout victory over Perth Glory in the first week of the finals, before scoring the go-ahead goal in extra-time of the minor semi-final a week later against Newcastle Jets.
Ifill again came up big in the 2011-12 finals series, scoring the winner in the Nix’s 3-2 elimination final win over Sydney FC – showcasing his knack of scoring goals in the big games.
Unfortunately, his five-year stint ended with him on the sidelines after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 2013-14 season, but his impact won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Paul Ifill
- Clubs: Wellington Phoenix
- Games: 106
- Goals: 33
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- PFA Team of the Season (2009-10, 2011-12)
- A-Leagues All-Star (2013)
- Wellington Phoenix Golden Boot (2009-10, 2011-12)
Belgium
A right-back… playing striker?
Yep, you read that correctly. When Melbourne City signed former Manchester United and Leicester City full-back Ritchie De Laet on loan from Aston Villa in 2018, most expected him to take his place in the position he played for his entire career.
Think again. Upon arrival, the two-time Belgian international was initially playing in defence in a myriad of different roles including right-back, centre-back and wing-back – but in January something changed.
With Bruno Fornaroli on the outer and a lack of options at Warren Joyce’s disposal in attack, De Laet was shifted forward as a stop-gap option and to his credit – he did pretty well!
De Laet’s best game up front came in their 4-3 win over Western Sydney, where he scored a double including a goal in the opening 30 seconds.
Despite only scoring five career goals at senior level prior to arriving in Melbourne, De Laet said playing up-front wasn’t unfamiliar to him, revealing Joyce used to play him as a striker during his stint as his coach in the United youth-team.
However, upon the arrival of Jamie Maclaren and ex-Tottenham striker Shayon Harrison on loan, De Laet was shifted back to defence – only scoring once more in City blue.
Ritchie De Laet
- Clubs: Melbourne City
- Games: 25
- Goals: 7
Brazil
There is a fair argument to make for many Brazilians being the best-ever to grace the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Bobo’s feats at Sydney FC, Cassio’s defensive fortitude at Adelaide and Gui Finkler’s incredible tenure at Melbourne Victory immediately spring to mind. However, when talking about players for the big occasion, there may be no one more ‘clutch’ than Henrique.
The Brazilian attacker was the man for the occasion in the Isuzu UTE A-League, making a name for himself in his initial seven-year stint with the Brisbane Roar during the ‘Roarcelona’ era and beyond.
It’s fitting that Henrique debuted in a final in 2009, given his legacy down under was born in his historic finals series performances’ that followed.
In the 2010-11 season, the ‘Slippery Fish’ wrote himself into Brisbane folklore and into the nightmares of Central Coast Mariners fans across the country. First, Henrique scored the sealer in the semi-final second-leg win over the Mariners to wrap up Brisbane’s place in a maiden Grand Final.
But a fortnight later, he delivered the ultimate one-two punch to the Mariners again, this time in the decider, kickstarting the most unbelievable comeback in grand final history with the goal to bring it back to 2-1 late in extra-time – before Erik Paartalu sent the game to penalties.
Henrique then stood up and dispatched the game-winning penalty to secure the Roar’s first-ever Championship. In fact, he scored in four straight finals against the Mariners over two seasons, again hitting the net in both legs of the semi-finals in 2012.
And he wasn’t done on the big stage, scoring the winner in extra-time of the 2014 Grand Final against the Western Sydney Wanderers to wrap up the club’s third ever Championship.
What an incredible legacy to leave.
Henrique
- Clubs: Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United
- Games: 181
- Goals: 48
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2010-11 Premiership/Championship (Roar)
- 2011-12 Championship (Roar)
- 2013-14 Premiership/Championship (Roar)
Honourable mentions
- Gui Finkler (Melbourne Victory, Wellington Phoenix)
- Bobô (Sydney FC)
- Cassio (Adelaide United)
Costa Rica
If you ranked the best strikers of the ball in Isuzu UTE A-League history, Carlos Hernandez would have to be near the top of the pile.
Hernandez was a wizard with the ball at his feet, particularly during his stint at Melbourne Victory, where he scored some of the greatest goals seen in the history of the competition.
When ‘King Carlos’ was in shooting range, defences knew they were in trouble as he could quite literally hit them from anywhere. Free kicks, on the run or teed up on a platter from range; Hernandez was a dead-eye with a rocket of a right foot at his disposal.
And the streets won’t forget that goal against Gold Coast United.
The Costa Rican international really hit his stride in his third season at Victory, where he won the Johnny Warren Medal and played a starring role in their run to the Grand Final.
Carlos Hernandez
- Clubs: Melbourne Victory, Wellington Phoenix
- Games: 142
- Goals: 43
Isuzu UTE A-League honours honours
- 2008-09 Premiership/Championship (Victory)
- 2009-10 Johnny Warren Medal
Honourable mention
- Marco Urena (Central Coast Mariners)
Côte d’Ivoire
There haven’t been many better left-backs in the Isuzu UTE A-League than Adama Traore.
Traore burst onto the scene at Gold Coast United as a 19-year-old, before making the move to Melbourne Victory – after the club had its license revoked – where he took his game to the next level.
Under both Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat, Traore came into his own in his initial spell at the club – winning the 2013-14 Player of the Season, before jetting over to Europe where he played for the likes of FC Basel and Goztepe along with representing Côte d’Ivoire 12 times and at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
He has since returned, joining Victory in 2019 before making the move to Western Sydney Wanderers – where he’s been a regular in their steadfast back-line.
Adama Traore
- Clubs: Gold Coast United, Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers
- Games: 193
- Goals: 4
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2013-14 Victory Player of the Season
- 2022 A-Leagues All Star
Honourable mention
- Eugene Dadi (Perth Glory, Wellington Phoenix)
Croatia
When you think of how the inaugural Western Sydney Wanderers side of the 2012-13 Isuzu UTE A-League season played, defensive fortitude immediately comes to mind.
One of the players who helped set the tempo in the middle of the park was Croatian midfielder Mateo Poljak, who, along with Iacopo La Rocca, created one of the most physical and imposing defensive midfield tandems in the competition at the time.
Poljak was a mainstay in the heart of midfield, helping the Wanderers to silverware in their first season and their run to the ultimate glory of Asian Champions League success in 2014.
In the early stages of their second-leg semi-final against FC Seoul, Poljak scored the opening goal at Wanderland, which helped them on their way to the final against Al Hilal – where he started in both legs of the enthralling two-legged series.
Mateo Poljak
- Clubs: Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets
- Games: 116
- Goals: 6
Honours
- 2011-12 Premiership (Wanderers)
- 2014 AFC Asian Champions League winner (Wanderers)
Denmark
The 2015-16 Isuzu UTE A-League Melbourne City side was full of glitz, glam and attacking pizzaz thanks to their box-office attacking triumvirate of Bruno Fornaroli, Harry Novillo and Aaron Mooy.
But they had a certain goalkeeper to thank in part for their incredible campaign.
Thomas Sorensen arrived at Melbourne City off the back of playing for almost two decades in the English Premier League for the likes of Aston Villa, Sunderland and Stoke City to go with over 100 caps for Denmark.
Despite being at the latter stages of his career and spending the last few seasons prior to arriving as a back-up, he didn’t look like he had lost a step – winning the Goalkeeper of the Year award and earning a place in the PFA Team of the Season for his efforts.
His landmark performance came in the 2015 Christmas Melbourne Derby, where he pulled off a remarkable 12 saves, with five of those coming from the boot of a prime Besart Berisha along with thwarting Kosta Barbarouses and Archie Thompson.
His incredible showing helped City to a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory, where he immediately stamped himself into Isuzu UTE A-League folklore for his unbelievable night out.
And it wouldn’t be that much of a reach either to say it was one of the best goalkeeper performances the competition has ever seen.
Thomas Sorensen
- Clubs: Melbourne City
- Games: 37
- Clean sheets: 7
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- PFA Team of the Season (2015-16)
- 2015-16 A-League Men Goalkeeper of the Year
England
There have been many big-name Englishmen to grace the Isuzu UTE A-League, but in terms of longevity, Adam Le Fondre may be the best of the lot.
Arriving at Sydney FC after a solid career playing in all of England’s top four tiers – including a 12-goal campaign for Reading in the 2012-13 Premier League season – Le Fondre was an immediate hit among the Sky Blues faithful.
In his first two seasons at the club, Le Fondre scored goals for fun, tallying 36 in 53 games and helping the Sky Blues to back-to-back Championships in 2019 and 2020, before leaving on a short-term loan deal to Indian side Mumbai City the following year.
Le Fondre has since returned, but hasn’t reached the same heights scoring-wise as his first two seasons at the club – but remains a central figure to Sydney’s attack under Steve Corica – who initially brought him to the club.
Adam Le Fondre
- Clubs: Sydney FC
- Games: 94
- Goals: 53
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2018-19 Championship (Sydney FC)
- 2018-19 A-League Men Team of the Season
- 2019-20 Premiership/Championship (Sydney FC)
Honourable mentions
- Craig Noone (Melbourne City, Macarthur)
- Steven Taylor (Wellington Phoenix)
Fiji
Roy Krishna. What a player.
The Fijian attacker was incredible during his stint at the Wellington Phoenix, capping it off with an incredible 2018-19 campaign that saw him won both the Johnny Warren Medal and the Golden Boot.
Krishna helped the Phoenix surge up the table under former coach Marko Rudan, scoring 19 goals for the season, before departing for the Indian Super League the following campaign as the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer.
Roy Krishna
- Club: Wellington Phoenix
- Appearances: 122
- Goals: 51
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- Wellington Phoenix Player of the Year: 2017-18
- Johnny Warren Medal: 2017-18
- A-League Golden Boot: 2017-18
France
Both sides of Melbourne have reaped the rewards of two top-quality Frenchmen over the journey in Florin Berenguer and Matthieu Delpierre.
Berenguer signed for City in 2018 and initially took some time to get off the ground, but under former coach Patrick Kisnorbo, the attacking midfielder went to another level – particularly last season upon the departure of Adrian Luna.
The quality of his performances made him arguably City’s MVP and they felt it enormously when he went down in the latter stages of the season with a hamstring injury – which has again hindered his campaign this time around.
Delpierre, on the other hand, was a monster in the heart of Melbourne Victory’s back-line en route to winning the Championship in 2015 – returning just in time for the run home from injury. Such were the level of his performances in the 2014-15 season that playing only 15 games was enough to secure a place in the PFA Team of the Season.
Despite a lack of speed, his imposing presence, coupled by his calmness on the ball made him a force to be reckoned with as he was very rarely beaten by opposing players.
Florin Berenguer
- Clubs: Melbourne City
- Games: 91
- Goals: 9
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2020-21 Premiership/Championship (City)
- 2021-22 Premiership (City)
- 2021-22 PFA Team of the Season
Matthieu Delpierre
- Clubs: Melbourne Victory
- Games: 41
- Goals: 1
Isuzu UTE A-League honours
- 2014-15 Premiership/Championship (Victory)
- PFA Team of the Season (2014-15, 2015-16)
Georgia
On natural ability alone, there aren’t many better strikers in the Isuzu UTE A-League at the moment than Beka Mikeltadze.
The Georgian striker has been an enormous hit down under since making the move to the Newcastle Jets at the beginning of last season. His wide-ranging skillset makes him a ‘Swiss-army knife’ of sorts, combining an eye for goal, with an enormous football IQ and a solid range of physical attributes.
Mikeltadze hit the ground running at the focal point of Arthur Papas’ side almost immediately, forging a brilliant partnership with Brazilian attacking-midfielder Daniel Penha.
He ended the season with 13 goals and three assists, finishing second in the Golden Boot standings behind Jamie Maclaren – who only scored two more than the Georgian.
However, his form has tapered somewhat this campaign, only scoring two goals and struggling to make the same sort of impact without his partner in crime by his side – with Penha since departing for Korea.
But his impact down under has seen two other Georgian players follow him in making the move to Australia with former team-mate Bachana Arabuli joining Macarthur and Beka Dartsmelia linking up with Mikeltadze in the Hunter.
Beka Mikeltadze
- Clubs: Newcastle Jets
- Games: 35
- Goals: 15
