Veteran goalkeeper Jamie Young to retire immediately from professional career

One of the A-League’s finest goalkeepers has called time on his impressive professional career.

A-League championship-winning goalkeeper Jamie Young has called time on his professional career but will continue to contribute to the sport as a player and educator.

Melbourne City announced on Thursday that 39-year-old Young had retired from professional career with immediate affect, ending an A-League stint that started with hometown club Brisbane Roar in 2014 and included a title-winning spell with Western United.

Overall, Young made 260 appearances in all competitions for City, United and Brisbane in a senior career that included an 11-year stint in the UK, where he played for Reading, Rushden and Diamonds, Wycombe, Aldershot, Basingstoke Town, Whitehawk, and Hayes and Yeading United.

“I’ve fought as long as I could to play and I think now is the right time to retire,” said Young, who admitted it had been tough warming the bench this season at City, where youngster Patrick Beach has been preferred between the posts.

Jamie Young started his A-League career with Brisbane Roar. Picture: Tony Feder/Getty Images

“I knew this season was going to be a little bit difficult because I’m a keeper who’s played a lot of games and I’m a winner. In that respect, this season was going to be different for me and I knew that coming in.

“As the days went on and the weeks went on, I felt I wanted to do the right thing, and for me, to end it the way I wanted to end was important to me.”

However, Young is set to remain involved in football. A spell with Dandenong Thunder in the NPL Victoria competition looms, while he is writing a document, the Footballers’ Philosophy Guide, for Professional Footballers Australia, and completing his PHD that includes his thesis on A-League coaching characteristics.

“Lecturing and consulting with players and athletes on the mental side of the game is somewhere where I can really add value to people. It’s something that I’ve experienced for a long time and I have a good understanding of it theoretically,” the former A-League goalkeeper of the year said.

Those experiences included the high of winning the A-League championship in 2022 with Western United under the coaching of John Aloisi, who also guided Young’s fortunes in Brisbane.

Jamie Young (left) embraces his then Western United coach John Aloisi. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

“I’ve got a lot of admiration and a lot of respect for John. We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but he’s probably the best manager I’ve had,” said Young, who also paid tribute to United’s goalkeeper coach Michael Theo and his keeping mentor during his time in Brisbane, Jason Kearton.

“Michael Theo’s an A-League great and was a big influence on me when we battled it out at Brisbane (for the keeper’s spot), and then he was my goalie coach at Western United.

“`JK’ (Kearton) was the reason I got to the Roar. My career at that time was pretty much without a heartbeat, and he helped resurrect it. He took me to places in my career that I never thought were possible.”

Originally published as Veteran goalkeeper Jamie Young to retire immediately from professional career