Michael Thwaite

Michael Errol Thwaite (born 2 May 1983) is an Australian player who previously played for Western Sydney Wanderers.

Club career
Michael was raised in Cairns and played all his junior football at Saints Soccer Club. His amateur senior career began at merged club Edge Hill-Saints before moving south to Sydney University in the New South Wales Winter Super League on a Warwick Segal university scholarship. He then spent two seasons playing professionally for Marconi Stallions (2002–2004) in the now defunct NSL, before heading to Romania. He was then signed to Wisła Kraków on a Bosman transfer from FC Naţional Bucureşti in Romania's Divizia A.

On 28 January 2008 he signed for SK Brann and was loaned to the Melbourne Victory on 19 June 2008. On 26 July 2008 he scored his first goal for the Victory in a pre-season cup game against Perth Glory, to guide the Victory to a 1–0 win in Perth.

On 5 January 2009 he was signed from Melbourne by Gold Coast United after successfully negotiating his transfer from Brann.

On 1 February 2011 he scored his first goal in his professional career for Gold Coast United against his former club Melbourne Victory at Aurora Stadium in Tasmania. The game finished 1–1.

Michael played for Perth Glory for the 2012 – 2013 A-League season onwards after Gold Coast United folded at the end of the 2011–12 A-League season and was selected as part of the PFA team of the year. He also featured in the All Stars match verses Juventus after the 2013–14 A-League. He played every single minute of the 2014–15 A-League season.

Following Perth Glory's salary cap scandal of the 2014–15 A-League season, it is understood his days at the club were numbered and in mid-January Thwaite joined Chinese club Liaoning Whowin.

During Michael's first season in the 2016 Chinese Super League Thwaite made 25 appearances scoring 3 goals.

Following changes to the Chinese Super League's foreign allowance and Liaoning Whowin signing Australians Robbie Kruse and James Holland, Thwaite was released along with his Australian teammate Dario Vidošić in February 2017.

At the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, Thwaite was released from the wanderers along with marquee Álvaro Cejudo and Jack Clisby.

International career


Thwaite was part of the Australian under-20s team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the UAE. He was also involved with the 2004 Olympics qualifying team, but did not make the final squad for the tournament proper. He made his international debut on 9 October 2005 in a 5–0 win in a friendly match held in London against Jamaica. He was a squad member of the Australian national team in their historic World Cup qualifying tie against Uruguay, but did not play, as head coach Guus Hiddink preferred the more experienced Tony Popovic and Tony Vidmar in the starting lineup. Thwaite was also a member of the Australian national team that qualified for the 2014 World Cup.

Honours
With Melbourne Victory:


 * A-League Championship: 2008–2009
 * A-League Premiership: 2008–2009

Personal honours:

 * Gold Coast United Player's Player of the Year: 2009–2010
 * Gold Coast United Member's Player of the Year: 2009–2010
 * Gold Coast United Player of the Year: 2010–2011
 * Perth Glory Most Glorious Player: 2013–14 Perth Glory FC season
 * 2014 A-League All Stars Game

Education
He has a Bachelor of Human Movement Science degree from CQUniversity Australia. Michael also is a certified AFC B-Licence coach.