Stephen Laybutt

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stephen Laybutt

| image = SteveLaybut.jpg

| caption = Laybutt training with the Newcastle Jets

| upright = 0.9

| full_name = Stephen John Laybutt

| birth_date = {{birth date|1977|9|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|1|13|1977|9|3|df=y}}

| death_place = Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, Australia

| height = 1.89 m

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 = 1994–1995

| youthclubs1 = AIS

| years1 = 1995–1997

| clubs1 = Wollongong Wolves

| caps1 = 29

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1997–1999

| clubs2 = Brisbane Strikers

| caps2 = 68

| goals2 = 6

| years3 = 1999

| clubs3 = Bellmare Hiratsuka

| caps3 = 10

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1999–2000

| clubs4 = Parramatta Power

| caps4 = 7

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2000–2002

| clubs5 = Feyenoord

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2000–2001

| clubs6 = → RBC Roosendaal (loan)

| caps6 = 3

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2001

| clubs7 = → Lyn Oslo (loan)

| caps7 = 6

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2002

| clubs8 = Sydney Olympic

| caps8 = 12

| goals8 = 1

| years9 = 2002–2003

| clubs9 = Brisbane Strikers

| caps9 = 22

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2003–2004

| clubs10 = Excelsior Mouscron

| caps10 = 30

| goals10 = 1

| years11 = 2004–2007

| clubs11 = Gent

| caps11 = 70

| goals11 = 1

| years12 = 2007–2008

| clubs12 = Newcastle Jets

| caps12 = 10

| goals12 = 0

| years13 = 2009–2010

| clubs13 = Dandaloo FC

| caps13 =

| goals13 =

| nationalyears1 = 1998–2000

| nationalteam1 = Australia U23

| nationalcaps1 = 14

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2000–2004

| nationalteam2 = Australia

| nationalcaps2 = 15

| nationalgoals2 = 1

|medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's association football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|AUS}}}}

}}

Stephen John Laybutt (3 September 1977 – 13 January 2024) was an Australian professional soccer player who played as a defender.{{cite news |first=Renee |last=Valentine |title=Dutchy urges understudies to seize the moment |work=The Newcastle Herald |page=68 |date=7 September 2007}} Laybutt came out as gay in 2021{{Cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=2021-12-10|title='I want to give you a kidney': The gay Socceroo whose text message saved a life|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/i-want-to-give-you-a-kidney-the-gay-socceroo-whose-text-message-saved-a-life-20211210-p59ghx.html|access-date=2021-12-10|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} and died by suicide in January 2024.[https://7news.com.au/sport/soccer/socceroos-star-stephen-laybutts-cause-of-death-explained-after-going-missing-in-northern-new-south-wales-c-13248546 Socceroos star Stephen Laybutt’s cause of death explained after going missing in northern New South Wales]

Early life and career

Laybutt was born in Lithgow and played youth football at the Australian Institute of Sport before starting his senior career with Wollongong City in 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/l-australien-stephen-laybutt-ancien-joueur-de-mouscron-et-la-gantoise-retrouve-mort-a-46-ans-11313012|website=RTBF|date=15 January 2024|accessdate=29 January 2024|title=L'Australien Stephen Laybutt, ancien joueur de Mouscron et La Gantoise, retrouvé mort à 46 ans|author=Belga|lang=fr}} As well as playing for a number of clubs in the National Soccer League and Newcastle Jets in the A-League, Laybutt played professionally in Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. He retired from professional football in 2008.

He won fifteen caps with the Australian national team. He was also a member of the Australian under-23 team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Laybutt was released by Dutch side Feyenoord in January 2002 to return to Australia, following a loan spell at Lyn Oslo, due to a lack of first team opportunities.{{cite news|url=https://www.feyenoord.nl/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/67255|website=Feyenoord|date=8 January 2002|accessdate=12 December 2021|language=Dutch|title=Feyenoord en Stephen Laybutt uit elkaar|trans-title=Feyenoord and Stephen Laybutt separate}}

In January 2008, Laybutt suffered an achilles tendon rupture, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2008–09 A-League.{{cite news|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/479154/laybutt-tear-exposes-achilles-heel-at-back/|first=James|last=Gardiner|title=Laybutt tear exposes Achilles heel at back |date=15 January 2008|accessdate=12 December 2021|website=The Newcastle Herald}}

Personal life and death

Following his playing career, Laybutt came out as gay. As of 2021, Laybutt worked in the rehab unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. There, he met patient Ian Pavey, to whom he donated a kidney.

Laybutt was reported missing on 13 January 2024 when he could not be contacted after having last been seen the previous night. Laybutt was recorded on security camera footage at 11:30 AM on the 13th.[https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/socceroos/body-of-missing-exsocceroo-found-in-nsw-bush-after-frantic-search/news-story/d2e65888bc190dd71ca0f44d35e2e189 Missing Socceroo spotted on CCTV on day he disappeared] Police discovered Laybutt's body on 14 January 2024 in bushland near Cabarita Beach, New South Wales at age 46,{{cite news|last=Green|first=Eli|date=15 January 2024|title=Body of missing ex-Socceroo found in NSW bush after frantic search|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/socceroos/body-of-missing-exsocceroo-found-in-nsw-bush-after-frantic-search/news-story/d2e65888bc190dd71ca0f44d35e2e189|work=news.com.au|location= |access-date=15 January 2024}} determined to be self-inflicted.

Honours

Sydney Olympic

NSL Championship: 2001-02

Newcastle Jets

A-League Championship: 2007–08

Australia

OFC Nations Cup: 2000,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/00oc.html|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}}
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup: runner-up 2001{{Cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/asoce.html|title=AFC–OFC Challenge|access-date=October 14, 2024}}