Kristian Sarkies

Football player infobox
playername = Kristian Sarkies
fullname = Kristian Ronald Sarkies


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|10|25
countryofbirth = Melbourne, Australia
height = height|m=1.77
currentclub = Adelaide United
clubnumber = 8
position = Attacking Midfielder
youthyears =
2002–2003
youthclubs = Dingley
Moorabin
VIS
years = 2003–2004
2005–2007
2007–"present"
clubs = South Melbourne
Melbourne Victory
Adelaide United
caps(goals) = 17 (1)
35 (3)
12 (1)
nationalyears = 2003
2004–2005
2006–2008
2006–"present"
nationalteam = Australia U-17
Australia U-20
Australia U-23
Australia
nationalcaps(goals) = 13 (4)
14 (6)
18 (8)
02 (0)
pcupdate = 24 September 2008
ntupdate = 10:45, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Kristian Sarkies (born October 25, 1986 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays in midfield for Adelaide United as part of the A-League. Sarkies grew up in Dingley Village, a suburb in Melbourne's South-East. Upon scoring his first A-League goal, Sarkies handsignaled Dingley's postcode (3172) in his celebration.

Club career

Kristian Sarkies is a promising young midfielder for Australia with an eye for goal and is known for his powerfully hit set-pieces. He has been quoted that: “I practice my free kicks for hours a day, normally I like to kick around 150 in the net before I stop.” in an interview for a local football magazine.Fact|date=April 2007 Even though this is the case Sarkies has never scored a free kick in a competitive A-league match.

In the two seasons of the A-League with Melbourne Victory, Sarkies gave glimpses of his much touted talent.

He played in the A-league Grand Final with Melbourne, Sarkies scored his third goal for the club in his team's 6-0 thrashing of Adelaide in the 90th minute and scoring from long range.

However it was upon collecting his premiership medal that he made headlines around the country by kissing Australian Prime Minister John Howard on his bald head.

On the 30th of March 2007, Sarkies signed a one year deal with Adelaide United, linking up with his Australian U23 team mates Bruce Djite, Nathan Burns and Robert Cornthwaite. Days after his arrival, captain Ross Aloisi signed with new team Wellington Phoenix, paving the way for Sarkies to become a key player in the Reds midfield brigade.

On the 28th December after Adelaide's loss to Sydney 3-1 at Adelaide Oval in which Sarkies scored a goal he was hospitalized and later found out that he had a blood clot on one of his arms. He is scheduled to have surgery on it on the 31st December.

International career

Sarkies was called up by coach Guus Hiddink to be part of the "train-on" squad leading up to Australia's appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He won his first cap in the dying minutes of Australia's 3-1 friendly win against Liechtenstein on the 8th of June 2006.

He was then kept in Germany with the Socceroos after he was given a personal invitation from Guus Hiddink to stay with the team until after the first group match with Japan.

Sarkies has represented his country at all youth levels and is set to be involved in Australia's qualifying campaign for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The first game of this campaign was against Chinese Taipei at Hindmarsh Stadium on 7 February, 2007. Australia won the match 11-0, with Sarkies scoring four goals.

A-League career statistics

("Correct as of 26 January 2008")

Honours

With Melbourne Victory:
* A-League Championship: 2006-2007
* A-League Premiership: 2006-2007

References

External links

* [http://www.adelaideunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=aufc_playerprofile_item&pid=895 Adelaide United profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/S/SA.html Oz Football profile]
* [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/MensU23/default.aspx?s=aus_u23men_player_profile&pid=895&tid=112 FFA - Olyroo profile]
* [http://www.vis.org.au/profile.asp?profileID=492&personTypeID=1&ToPage=profilesbysport.asp VIS - Athlete profile]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/dimensions/dimensions_future/Transcripts/s905044.htm George Negus Tonight story]