Manny Muscat
{{Short description|Maltese footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Manny Muscat
| image = Manny Muscat-30.08.09.jpg
| image_size = 200
| caption = Muscat playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2009
| fullname = Emmanuel Muscat
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|12|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Melbourne, Australia
| height = {{height|m=1.80|precision=0}}{{cite web|title=Manny Muscat|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/player/manny-muscat/reyodaxxyfyq12b9jxd3y4pya|website=Wellington Phoenix|accessdate=3 January 2016|archive-date=3 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903160257/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/player/manny-muscat/reyodaxxyfyq12b9jxd3y4pya|url-status=dead}}
| position = Defensive midfielder / Full back
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| years1 = 2003–2007
| clubs1 = Sunshine George Cross
| caps1 = 48
| goals1 = 5
| years2 = 2007–2008
| clubs2 = Green Gully
| caps2 = 44
| goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2008–2016
| clubs3 = Wellington Phoenix
| caps3 = 192
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2016–2018
| clubs4 = Melbourne City
| caps4 = 37
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2018–2019
| clubs5 = Green Gully
| caps5 = 23
| goals5 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2009–2011
| nationalteam1 = Malta
| nationalcaps1 = 9{{cite web|title=M Muscat|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/emanuel-muscat/56390/|website=Soccerway|accessdate=16 February 2016}}
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 30 September 2019
}}
Emmanuel "Manny" Muscat (born 7 December 1984) is a former professional footballer who last played as a defensive midfielder or right back for Green Gully in the NPL Victoria. Born in Australia, he represented the Malta national team.
Club career
=Early career=
Raised in West Sunshine, Melbourne, Manny Muscat played for Sunshine George Cross where he was made captain at the age of 19, then made the switch to rivals Green Gully SC where he had the most successful years in his Victorian Premier career.
=Wellington Phoenix=
Wellington Phoenix signed him from Green Gully in August 2008, initially as a short-term injury replacement for the injured Vince Lia,{{cite news | title=Muscat's The Manny For Phoenix | url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/82046,muscats-the-manny-for-phoenix.aspx | work=FourFourTwo Australia | access-date=26 June 2009 | archive-date=1 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401231338/http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/82046,muscats-the-manny-for-phoenix.aspx | url-status=dead }} but he was later offered a full contract and signed on as a contracted player.{{cite news| title=Muscat signs deal with Phoenix|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/local-sport/742682|publisher=NZPA}}
Muscat made a total of twenty-six appearances for the Wellington Phoenix in the 2009–10 season, including all three of the final series matches. After getting the only red card of Wellington's season, fellow Phoenix player Troy Hearfield picked up Muscat's usual role of right back. This change pushed Muscat into a defensive midfield role for Wellington where Muscat continued to play through the rest of the season. On 20 October 2009, Muscat was rewarded for his fine form as he extended his contract with Wellington Phoenix for another three years.{{cite news|title=Muscat extends contract with Phoenix|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=30116|website=WellingtonPhoenix.com|access-date=29 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301072922/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=30116|archive-date=1 March 2011|url-status=dead}}
On 20 January 2012 Muscat scored his first goal for the club in his eighty fifth appearance versus the Newcastle Jets FC.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10780133|title=Muscat hits late winner for Phoenix|date=21 January 2012|work=The New Zealand Herald|accessdate=21 January 2012}} The day after breaking his goal drought it was confirmed Muscat had extended his contract by a further two years and rejected offers from hometown clubs Melbourne Victory FC and Melbourne Heart.
On 3 January 2013 Muscat received a 3-game suspension after twice elbowing a Brisbane Roar player in his side's 2–1 loss.{{cite news|url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/229487,phoenix-secure-goal-hero-manny.aspx|title=Phoenix Secure Goal Hero Manny|date=21 January 2012|work=FourFourTwoAustralia|accessdate=21 January 2011}}
=Melbourne City=
On 3 March 2016, it was announced that Muscat had signed a 2-year deal with Melbourne City commencing at the beginning of the 2016–17 A-League season.{{cite news |title=Manny Muscat Returns To Melbourne |url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/article/manny-muscat-returns-to-melbourne/q0jj6l12p9uw1fo9x1blg6wj4 |website=WellingtonPhoenix.com |date=2016-03-03 |accessdate=2016-03-03}} He made his first appearance in a City shirt in a 5–0 friendly match win over Port Melbourne SC on 20 July 2016.{{cite web|title=Report: City kick-off pre-season with five against Port Melbourne|url=http://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/article/report-city-kick-off-pre-season-with-five-against-port-melbourne/zylvqud401yo12der9gwlpzct|publisher=Melbourne City FC|accessdate=20 July 2016}} On 3 May 2018, Muscat was released by Melbourne City.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/city-release-five-as-rebuild-for-next-season-begins-20180503-p4zd8a.html|title=City release five as rebuild for next season begins|first=Michael|last=Lynch|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=3 May 2018}}
=Green Gully=
Muscat returned to Green Gully after leaving the A-League.{{cite web|url=https://www.greengully.com/welcome-back-manny|title=Welcome back, Manny|publisher=Green Gully|date=28 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.a-league.com.au/news/signing-news-muscat-confirms-next-move-after-city-exit|title=Signing news: Muscat confirms next move after City exit|publisher=Football Federation Australia|work=A-League|date=28 May 2018}}
International career
On 11 May 2009, Muscat was called up to the Maltese national team and made his international début, for a friendly against the Czech Republic.{{cite news |title=Muscat gets the call from Malta |url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=27370 |website=WellingtonPhoenix.com |date=2009-05-11 |accessdate=2009-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301080524/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=27370 |archive-date=1 March 2011 |url-status=dead }} He was used as a late substitute for a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Sweden.
In August 2010, Muscat was called up for the opening two UEFA Euro 2012 qualification matches against Israel and Latvia.
A-League career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|A-League !colspan="2"|Finals Series !colspan="2"|Asia !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
| App
!Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="7" align=center valign=center|Wellington Phoenix (A-League) |align="center"|2008–09 |align="center"|14 |align="center"|0 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|14 |align="center"|0 | ||||||||
| align="center"|2009–10
|align="center"|23 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|0 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|26 |align="center"|0 | ||||||||
| align="center"|2010–11
|align="center"|27 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|28 |align="center"|0 | ||||||||
| align="center"|2011–12
|align="center"|25 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|1 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|27 |align="center"|2 | ||||||||
| align="center"|2012–13
|align="center"|24 |align="center"|0 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|24 |align="center"|0 | ||||||||
| align="center"|2013–14
|align="center"|21 |align="center"|0 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|21 |align="center"|0 | ||||||||
| colspan="1" align="left"| Club Total | 134 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 140 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2" align="left" |Career totals
! align=center | 134 ! align=center | 1 ! align=center | 6 ! align=center | 1 ! align=center | ! align=center | ! align=center | 140 ! align=center | 2 | ||||||||
| colspan="12"|Last updated 16 March 2014 |
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.football-lineups.com/footballer/31053/ Football-Lineups Tactical Profile]
- [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wellingtonphoenix/players/Manny-Muscat/1896 Wellington Phoenix Profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090926095728/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=309701/index.html FIFA Player Profile]
- [http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8141490/Phoenix-lose-Manny-Muscat-to-a-3-game-ban]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muscat, Manny}}
Category:Caroline Springs George Cross FC players
Category:Green Gully SC players
Category:Wellington Phoenix FC players
Category:Melbourne City FC players
Category:A-League Men All-Stars
Category:Australian people of Maltese descent
Category:Naturalised citizens of Malta
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Maltese men's footballers
Category:Malta men's international footballers
Category:Australian men's soccer players
Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand
Category:People from Sunshine, Victoria
Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand
Category:Australian expatriate men's soccer players
Category:Maltese expatriate men's footballers
Category:Maltese expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand