Apostolos Stamatelopoulos parts ways with Jets to join Scottish club Motherwell

A Socceroos and A-League All-Stars striker has left Newcastle to move to the Scottish Premiership.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (right) celebrates with fellow Socceroo Nestory Irankunda after scoring for the A-League All Stars in May. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Socceroos striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos has departed the A-League to further his chances of keeping his spot in Australia’s squad on the qualifying road to the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

The 25-year-old A-League All-Stars marksman has left the Newcastle Jets and is set to join Scottish Premiership club Motherwell on a transfer fee reportedly worth $501,000.

“Apostolos heads to Europe with our best wishes,” Jets chief executive Shane Mattiske said.

“We understand that in order for Apostolos to push for selection in the Socceroos squad for the 2026 World Cup, he needs to be playing consistently in the coming months and that aligns with the European schedule.”

Socceroo and A-League All-Star Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is moving to Scottish club Motherwell. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Adelaide-born Stamatelopoulos – who scored 17 goals for the Jets last season – debuted for the Socceroos in June when he came on as a second-half substitute in Australia’s 5-0 win over Palestine in Perth.

However, with the new A-League season not starting until October, Stamatelopoulos would have found it tougher to hold his place in the national squad for September’s World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain and Indonesia had he not moved overseas.

It won’t be the former Adelaide United and Western United attacker’s first stint in Europe, with Stamatelopoulos having played for Greek clubs Rodos and PAS Giannina between 2021 and 2023 before returning to the A-League in July last year.

“We’re really proud of his development at the Jets over the past season and would love to see him and his family return to Newcastle in the future,” Mattiske said.