Lleyton Brooks
{{short description|Australian soccer player}}
{{EngvarB|date = November 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = November 2014}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Lleyton Brooks
| image = Lleyton Brooks (left) training for Melbourne Victory November 2022 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Brooks in training with Melbourne Victory in November 2022
| fullname = Lleyton Andrew Tanabe Brooks
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|03|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Benowa, Queensland, Australia
| height = {{height|m=1.79}}
| position = Winger
| currentclub = Preston Lions
| clubnumber = 7
| youthyears1 = 2013–2016
| youthclubs1 = Brisbane Strikers
| youthyears2 = 2016–2017
| youthclubs2 = Brisbane Roar
| youthyears3 = 2017
| youthclubs3 = FFA Centre of Excellence
| youthyears4 = 2018–2019
| youthclubs4 = Brisbane Roar
| youthyears5 = 2019
| youthclubs5 = Melbourne Victory
| years1 = 2017
| clubs1 = FFA Centre of Excellence
| caps1 = 13
| goals1 = 5
| years2 = 2018–2019
| clubs2 = Brisbane Roar NPL
| caps2 = 22
| goals2 = 1
| years4 = 2021–2022
| clubs4 = Melbourne Victory NPL
| caps4 = 9
| goals4 = 4
| years3 = 2020–2023
| clubs3 = Melbourne Victory
| caps3 = 31
| goals3 = 3
| years5 = 2024
| clubs5 = Cavalry FC
| caps5 = 13
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2025–
| clubs6 = Preston Lions
| caps6 = 5
| goals6 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = Australia U18
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 2
| club-update = 7 March 2025
| nationalteam-update = 9 August 2020
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|AUS}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|AFF U-19 Youth Championship}}
{{Medal|1st|2019 Vietnam|U-20 Team}}
}}
Lleyton Andrew Tanabe Brooks (born 21 March 2001) is an Australian professional soccer player who currently played as a winger for National Premier Leagues Victoria club Preston Lions.
Early life
Brooks played youth soccer with the Brisbane Strikers and Brisbane Roar.{{cite web|url=https://calgary.citynews.ca/2023/12/26/cavalry-fc-sign-lleyton-brooks/|title=Cavalry FC sign Australian forward Lleyton Brooks to 2-year contract|date=December 26, 2023|work=CityNews|first=Alejandro|last=Melgar}} In 2017, he joined the FFA Centre of Excellence, before later returning to the Brisbane Roar youth.{{cite web|title=50 Melbourne Victory Fc Best Players of All Time|url=https://www.metroleague.org/melbourne-victory-fc-best-players/|first=Andrew|last=Kovacs|work=Metro League|date=30 March 2023}} Brooks was part of the 2018–19 Y-League championship-winning Brisbane Roar Youth team.{{cite web|url=https://www.y-league.com.au/match/western-sydney-wanderers-fc-youth-v-brisbane-roar-fc-youth-y-league-01-02-2019/1045751|title=Western Sydney Wanderers FC Youth vs Brisbane Roar FC Youth, Foxtel Y-League, Grand Final, 1st Feb 2019|website=Foxtel Y-League|date=28 January 2019|accessdate=19 February 2019}}
Club career
In 2017, Brooks played with the FFA Centre of Excellence in the NPL ACT.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/npl-capital-football-ffa-centre-of-excellence-teenagers-thrash-monaro-panthers-20170701-gx2lj7.html|title=NPL Capital Football: FFA Centre of Excellence teenagers thrash Monaro Panthers|first=Eamonn|last=Tiernan|date=July 1, 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
In 2018, he began playing with the Brisbane Roar NPL in the NPL Queensland, while also training with the first team.{{cite web|url=https://brisbaneroar.com.au/news/young-roar-thriving-under-npl-pressure|title=Young Roar thriving under NPL pressure|date=July 25, 2018|work=Brisbane Roar FC}}
In October 2019, Brooks joined Melbourne Victory in the A-League.{{Cite web|url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/victory-locks-full-time-youth-players|title=Victory locks in full-time youth players|date=October 22, 2019|work=Melbourne Victory}}{{cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/cavalry-fc-sign-australian-youth-international-lleyton-brooks|title=Cavalry FC sign Australian youth international Lleyton Brooks|date=December 26, 2023|work=Canadian Premier League}} On 8 August 2020, he made his debut, in a substitute appearance, against Perth Glory.{{cite web|url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/report-glory-0-4-victory|first=Dejan|last=Kalinic|date=August 8, 2020|title=Report: Glory 0-4 Victory|work=Melbourne Victory FC}} On 10 April 2021, he scored his first goal, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Newcastle Jets.{{cite web|url=https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/news/83ofk3a5cne5z1ctipbbbz7i/a-league-victory-snap-winless-streak-while-maclaren's-scoring-run-rolls-on|title=A-League: Victory snap winless streak while Maclaren's scoring run rolls on|date=10 April 2021|work=FotMob}}{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7203799/sub-ends-victorys-winless-a-league-run/|title=Sub ends Victory's winless A-League run|first=Adrian|last=Warren|date=April 10, 2021|work=The Canberra Times}} On 6 June 2021, he scored a last minute equaliser in injury time against league leaders Melbourne City.{{cite web|title=Brooks' leveller may spare Victory spoon, Arnold seeks Socceroos goals|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/brooks-last-gasp-leveller-may-spare-victory-the-spoon-20210606-p57ygm.html|date=June 6, 2021|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|first=Michael|last=Lynch}} In his debut season with the Victory, Brooks made 9 appearances and scored 2 goals; with his performances earning him Melbourne Victory's Young Player of the Season award for the 2020-21 season.{{cite web |title=Recap: 2020/21 Victory Medal |url=https://www.melbournevictory.com.au/news/recap-202021-victory-medal |website=Melbourne Victory FC |date=5 June 2021}} Following the season, he re-signed with the club on a new one-year scholarship contract.{{cite web|url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/brooks-and-kirdar-re-sign-victory|title=Brooks and Kirdar re-sign with Victory|date=June 18, 2021|work=Melbourne Victory FC}} In February 2022, he signed another extension, through the end of the 2022-23 season.{{cite web|url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/melbourne-victory-re-signs-lleyton-brooks-and-jay-barnett|title=Melbourne Victory re-signs Lleyton Brooks and Jay Barnett|publisher=Melbourne Victory FC|date=1 February 2022}} On May 7, 2022, while playing for the second team in the NPL Victoria 3, he scored a hat trick against Ballarat City FC.{{cite web|url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/npl-report-western-1-2-victory-2|title=NPL report: Victory 6-0 Ballarat|date=May 7, 2022|work=Melbourne Victory FC}} Brooks scored his third goal for Victory in the 2022–23 A-League Men season on 23 April 2023, sealing the winner in a 2–1 home win over Macarthur FC and helping his side avoid the wooden spoon.{{cite web|title=Lleyton Brooks rescues point for Melbourne Victory in derby|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/601665|date=May 17, 2023|work=ESPN}}{{cite web |title=Men's Match Report: Brooks the hero as Victory snatch all three points |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/mens-match-report-brooks-the-hero-as-victory-snatch-all-three-points |publisher=Melbourne Victory FC|date=23 April 2023}} He was released at the end of the 2022-23 season.{{cite web |title=Melbourne Victory Player Update |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/melbourne-victory-player-update-4 |publisher=Melbourne Victory FC |date=4 May 2023}}
In December 2023, he joined Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC on a two-year contract, beginning in the 2024 season.{{Cite web|url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/article/cavalry-fc-signs-lleyton-brooks-to-2024-roster|title=Cavalry FC Signs Lleyton Brooks to 2024 Roster|date=December 26, 2023|work=Cavalry FC}}{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/cavalry-fc-sign-australian-forward-lleyton-brooks/|title=Cavalry Inks Australian Forward Lleyton Brooks|date=December 26, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} He made his debut for Cavalry on February 27, in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Orlando City SC.{{cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/match-analysis-cavalry-fc-orlando-city-leg-2-concacaf-champions-cup|title=Match Analysis: Cavalry FC go down swinging in Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Orlando City SC|date=February 27, 2024|work=Canadian Premier League|first=Mitchell|last=Tierney}} Brooks contract was terminated by mutual consent in July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/cavalry-fc-lowell-wright-sign-lleyton-brooks-termination/|title=Cavalry Adds Wright, Releases Brooks|first=John|last=Jacques|work=Northern Tribune|date=July 25, 2024}}
In December 2024, he signed with NPL Victoria club Preston Lions for the 2025 season.{{cite tweet|user=prestonlionsfc|number=1866014919793029297|date=December 9, 2024|title=Lleyton Brooks is set to light up the NPL in 2025}}
International career
Born in Australia, Brooks is also of Japanese descent.
In July 2019, he was named to the Australia U20 squad for a camp.{{cite web|url=https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/gary-van-egmond-names-maiden-young-socceroos-squad|title=Gary van Egmond names maiden Young Socceroos squad|work=Socceroos|date=July 17, 2019}} He was then named to the squad for the Australia U18 team for the 2019 AFF U-18 Youth Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/young-socceroos-squad-finalised-2019-aff-u-18-championship|title=Young Socceroos squad finalised for 2019 AFF U-18 Championship|date=August 18, 2019|work=Socceroos}} On 7 August 2019, he scored two goals against Cambodia U18 in the tournament opener.{{Cite web|url=https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/young-socceroos-cambodia-2019-aff-u-18-championship-match-report|title=Young Socceroos hit five in AFF U-18 Championship opener|date=August 18, 2019|work=Socceroos|first=Samuel|last=Green}}
Personal life
His father Craig worked as a camera operator for Network 10.{{cite web|title=Victory's unlikely hero whose last-gasp winner was sensationally captured by his father... a cameraman! |url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/melbourne-victory-a-league-lleyton-brooks-reaction-news/|first=Sasha|last=Pisani|website=A-League|date=23 April 2023}}
Career statistics
{{updated|July 13, 2024}}{{soccerway|lleyton-brooks/523541}}
Honours
=International=
;Australia U18
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerway|lleyton-brooks/523541}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Lleyton}}
Category:Australian men's soccer players
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Melbourne Victory FC players
Category:Brisbane Roar FC players
Category:Brisbane Strikers FC players
Category:Soccer players from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Category:National Premier Leagues players