Birkan Kirdar

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 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

Melbourne Victory

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

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

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

Club

Melbourne Victory

• FFA Cup: 2021

References

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".