Stan Lazaridis

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stan Lazaridis

| image =

| full_name = Stan Lazaridis{{cite web |url=https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |title=2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: Australia |publisher=FIFA |page=3 |date=21 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610174527/https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2019}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|8|16|df=y}}{{Hugman|11458|access-date=17 November 2019}}

| birth_place = Perth, Australia

| height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m|order=flip}}{{cite book |title=Playfair Football Annual 2000–2001 |editor1-last=Rollin |editor1-first=Glenda |editor2-last=Rollin |editor2-first=Jack |date=2000 |publisher=Headline |isbn=978-0-7472-6620-4 |page=24}}

| position = Left winger, left-back

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Olympic Kingsway

| years1 = 1991–1992

| clubs1 = Floreat Athena

| caps1 = 28

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1992–1995

| clubs2 = West Adelaide

| caps2 = 73

| goals2 = 6

| years3 = 1995–1999

| clubs3 = West Ham United

| caps3 = 69

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 1999–2006

| clubs4 = Birmingham City

| caps4 = 191

| goals4 = 8

| years5 = 2006–2008

| clubs5 = Perth Glory

| caps5 = 13

| goals5 = 0

| totalcaps = 374

| totalgoals = 19

| nationalyears1 = 1989

| nationalteam1 = Australia U17

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalyears2 = 2000

| nationalteam2 = Australia Olympic (O.P.)

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1993–2006

| nationalteam3 = Australia

| nationalcaps3 = 60

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|AUS}}}}

}}

Stan Lazaridis (born 16 August 1972) is an Australian former soccer player. He was predominantly a left winger though he was known to perform at left-back. He notably played for Birmingham City and West Ham United and made 58 official appearances for Australia and was in the Australian 2006 FIFA World Cup squad.

In 2024, Lazaridis was appointed director of football at Perth Glory.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-21 |title=Stan's our man: Glory recruit Socceroos great for key role |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/perth-glory/perth-glory-unveil-socceroos-great-stan-lazaridis-as-clubs-new-director-of-football-c-14021820 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The West Australian |language=en}}

Club career

His reputation as a young left-footed teenager began with Olympic Kingsway where, despite his age, he intimidated many a defender with his change of pace.[http://members.iinet.net.au/~jacob/wasoccer/halloffame/CenturyOfChampionsTheModernEra.htm Century of Champions, The Modern Era] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803145212/http://members.iinet.net.au/~jacob/wasoccer/halloffame/CenturyOfChampionsTheModernEra.htm |date=3 August 2008 }}

Lazaridis made his senior debut for West Adelaide Hellas in the Australian National Soccer League in the 1992 season. His dribbling ability and pace drew much attention on the Australian scene. At the end of the 1995 season he earned a move to Europe when West Ham manager Harry Redknapp encountered Lazaridis playing for West Adelaide during West Ham's pre-season tour of Australia in May, 1995.{{cite web |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/News/191364,when-harry-met-stan.aspx |title=When Harry Met Stan - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate football Website |publisher=Au.fourfourtwo.com |date=14 December 2010 |access-date=2011-02-06 |archive-date=3 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003135013/http://au.fourfourtwo.com/News/191364,when-harry-met-stan.aspx |url-status=dead }} Signed for £300,000 a poor debut and consistent injury problems made his debut season difficult when he made only six appearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=400&united=Stan_Lazaridis |title=Stan Lazaridis |publisher=Westhamstats.info |date=16 August 1972 |access-date=2011-02-06}} He scored his first goal for West Ham in a 1–1 away draw with Wimbledon on 18 March 1997. Over four seasons, Lazaridis played just 87 games for West Ham United and scored three goals. In 1999, he dropped a division to sign for Birmingham City when manager Trevor Francis signed him in a deal worth an eventual £1.7million.{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/blues-legends/2008/01/22/stan-lazaridis-97319-20408871/ |title=Sport - Birmingham City - Birmingham City FC legends - Stan Lazaridis |work=Birmingham Mail|date=22 January 2008 |access-date=2011-02-06}} Settling much better at St Andrew's, he played an important role in guiding the team up to the Premiership for the 2002–03 season, scoring one of the penalties in the play-off final shootout to help them get promoted to the Premier League.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1979806.stm |title=Birmingham reach Premiership |work=BBC Sport |date=12 May 2002 |access-date=25 November 2017}} While at Birmingham he played in the 2001 Football League Cup Final.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/worthington_cup/1187654.stm |title=Blues shot down as Liverpool lift cup |work=BBC Sport |date=25 February 2001 |access-date=25 November 2017}}

Following promotion (and despite a raft of new signings) Lazaridis remained a regular player for the Blues, scoring the winner against local rivals Aston Villa in March 2003 and a classic goal against Everton in February 2004. After seven successful years at Birmingham City, in which he had become a fan favourite, Lazaridis was released at the end of the 2005–06 season after making 222 appearances for the club. He then looked to finish his career in Australia with A-League club Perth Glory.

Lazaridis made only 11 appearances for the Perth club in 2006–07. His time there was tainted when in January 2007, Lazaridis returned a positive drug test for anti-androgen Finasteride, a prescription alopecia medication, which was banned at the time. Although perhaps slim comfort to Lazaridis finasteride was removed from the banned list in large measure as a result of the widespread discontent that followed his unfortunate case becoming public.{{cite news| title=Fury as drugs probe tarnishes ex-Socceroo| newspaper=The Daily Telegraph| location=Sydney| date=15 March 2007| first=David| last=Davutovic| url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-daily-telegraph-sydney/20070315/283253093452503| via=PressReader.com}}

While noting his previous good character and making clear there was no evidence he had taken performance-enhancing drugs, he was found to have breached the rules and was given a 12-month suspension from football, mostly backdated.{{cite web| url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=18986| title=Lazaridis handed one-year suspension| publisher=Football Federation Australia| date=27 August 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617063245/http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=18986 |archive-date=17 June 2011}} In March 2008, Perth Glory manager David Mitchell cut Lazaridis from the club's A-League roster,{{cite web| url=https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2008/04/21/lazaridis-cut-loose-glory| title=Lazaridis cut loose by Glory| date=21 April 2008| publisher=SBS}} prompting the player to retire.

International career

Lazridis made his debut appearance for the Australian National Team in 1993 as they played Kuwait.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-04 |title=Stan Lazaridis {{!}} Football Australia |url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/stan-lazaridis |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=www.footballaustralia.com.au |language=en}} He has 60 international appearances for the Socceroos and has one goal which he scored against Cook Islands.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} He played a major role in 4 world cup campaigns and was in the Australian squad at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=Stan Lazaridis |url=https://wais.org.au/hallofchampions/stan-lazaridis/ |website=WAIS}} Lazaridis was also part of the Australian squad at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games.{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Stan Lazaridis |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/90965 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=www.olympedia.org}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2" \|Club !rowspan="2" width="80" \|Season !colspan="3" width="105"\|League !colspan="2" width="105"\|Cup{{efn\|Includes National Soccer League finals, FA Cup, Football League Cup and A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup matches.}} !colspan="2" width="105"\|Continental !colspan="2" width="105"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="4"\|West Adelaide Hellas \|1992–93 \|rowspan="3"\|National Soccer League \|26	2	2	1	0	0	28	3
1993–94 \|23	3	0	0	0	0	23	3
1994–95 \|20	0	2	0	0	0	22	0
colspan="2"\|Total !69	5	4	1	0	0	73	6
rowspan="6"\|West Ham United \|1995–96 \|rowspan="5"\|Premier League \|4	0	2	0	0	0	6	0
1996–97 \|22	1	5	0	0	0	27	1
1997–98 \|28	2	7	0	0	0	35	2
1998–99 \|15	0	3	0	0	0	18	0
1999-2000 \|0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total !69	3	17	0	1	0	87	3
rowspan="8"\|Birmingham City \|1999-2000 \|rowspan="3"\|Football League First Division \|31	2	4	0	0	0	35	2
2000–01 \|31	2	8	0	0	0	39	2
2001–02 \|32	0	2	0	0	0	34	0
2002–03 \|rowspan="4"\|Premier League \|30	2	2	0	0	0	32	2
2003–04 \|30	2	3	0	0	0	33	2
2004–05 \|20	0	2	0	0	0	22	0
2005–06 \|17	0	3	0	0	0	20	0
colspan="2"\|Total !191	8	24	0	0	0	215	8
rowspan="3"\|Perth Glory \|2006–07 \|rowspan="2"\|A-League \|11	0	2	0	0	0	13	0
2007–08 \|2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total !13	0	2	0	0	0	15	0
colspan="3"\|Career total !342	16	47	1	1	0	390	17

= International =

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{NFT player\|444\|name=Stan Lazaridis\|accessdate=2011-02-06}}
rowspan="14"\|Australia \|1993	3	0
1994	4	0
1995	6	0
1996	0	0
1997	13	0
1998	0	0
1999	0	0
2000	9	0
2001	9	0
2002	0	0
2003	2	0
2004	8	0
2005	3	0
2006	3	0
colspan="2"\|Total	60	0

Honours

Birmingham City

Football League First Division play-offs: 2002
Football League Cup runner-up: 2000–01

Australia

FIFA Confederations Cup: runner-up, 1997;{{Cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round=1984/match=17489/index.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 14, 2024 |archive-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618001151/https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round%3D1984/match%3D17489/index.html |url-status=dead }} 3rd place, 2001{{Cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/archive/koreajapan2001/teams/team=43976/index.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 14, 2024 |archive-date=January 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122105959/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/archive/koreajapan2001/teams/team=43976/index.html |url-status=dead }}
OFC Nations Cup: 2000,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/00oc.html#det|title=Oceania Nations Cup 2000|access-date=October 14, 2024}} 2004{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/04oc.html|title=Oceania Nations Cup 2004|access-date=October 14, 2024}}

References

External links

{{NFT player|444}}
[http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/L/LAV.html Oz Football profile]
[http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=400&united=Stan_Lazaridis West Ham United statistics]
[http://www.footballdatabase.com/site/players/index.php?dumpPlayer=1422 Football Database profile]
{{Soccerbase}}

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Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Soccer players from Perth, Western Australia

Category:Australian people of Greek descent

Category:Sportspeople of Greek descent