Birkan Kirdar (born 7 February 2002) is an Australian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Dandenong Thunder in the National Premier Leagues Victoria.

Birkan Kirdar
Personal information
Full name Birkan Kirdar[1]
Date of birth (2002-02-07) 7 February 2002 (age 22)[2]
Place of birth Coolaroo, Victoria, Australia
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder[4]
Team information
Current team
Dandenong Thunder
Number 12
Youth career
Hume City
Essendon Royals
Whittlesea Ranges
2017–2018 Melbourne Victory
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Melbourne Victory 30 (0)
2018–2022 Melbourne Victory NPL 34 (7)
2024– Dandenong Thunder 25 (5)
International career
2017–2019 Australia U-17 22 (8)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Australia
AFF U-16 Youth Championship
Third place 2017 Thailand U-17 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 November 2019

Club career

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Melbourne Victory

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The youngest player chosen in Melbourne Victory's youth squad for the 2017-18 National Youth League season, Kirdar made his debut for Melbourne Victory Youth at the age of 15, coming on in the 76th minute against Perth Glory Youth.[5]

Kirdar made his first-team debut for Melbourne Victory in an AFC Champions League match against Shanghai SIPG F.C., coming on as an 87th-minute substitute for Pierce Waring in an eventual 2–1 win.[6] At 16 years and 70 days, Kirdar became the Victory's youngest ever debutant.[7]

On 1 June 2018, Kirdar signed his first professional contract with Victory, through till the end of the 2019/20 season.[8] On 29 September 2020, Kirdar re-signed with Victory for the 2020/21 season.[9] In September 2022, he left Melbourne Victory.[10]

International career

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Kirdar represented Australia at the 2017 AFF U-15 Championship, the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship qualification and the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship.[11][12][13]

Personal life

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Kirdar is of Turkish descent, and his grandfather was one of the first founders of Turkish-Australian club Anadoluspor, also known as Hume City FC.[14]

Honours

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Club

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Melbourne Victory

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Australia" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Birkan Kirdar". Melbourne Victory FC. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Birkan Kirdar". Melbourne Victory FC. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  4. ^ Mitchell, Tim. "Craigieburn's Birkan Kirdar shoots for the stars at AFF Youth Championship with Under-15 Joeys squad". Hume Leader. News Corp. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  5. ^ "76' Birkan Kirdar is on for his Y-League debut at the age of 15". Twitter. Melbourne Victory FC. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Melbourne Victory v Shanghai SIPG live stream: Asian Champions League updates, result, video, highlights". Fox Sports Australia. News Corp. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  7. ^ Davutovic, David. "Asian Champions League: Melbourne Victory impress in last game as A-League finals loom large". Herald Sun. News Corp. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Trio of young guns locked in". Melbourne Victory. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Trio of young guns locked in". Melbourne Victory. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Melbourne Victory signs Nathan Konstandopoulos". Melbourne Victory. 14 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Joeys squad named ahead of AFF U-15 Championships". Football Federation Australia. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Cklamovski names Australia U-16 squad for Mongolia mission". 12 September 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Trevor Morgan names Joeys squad for Malaysia mission". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  14. ^ "ANADOLU'DAN ASYA ŞAMPİYONLAR LİGİ'NE".