1. Overview
Aleksandar Šušnjar (Александар ШушњарSerbian, born August 19, 1995) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Newcastle Jets in the A-League Men. Throughout his career, Šušnjar has played for various clubs across Europe, including in Lithuania, Romania, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, before moving to the K League in South Korea and later establishing himself in the Australian A-League. He has also represented both the Serbia U-17 and Australia U-23 national teams, eventually making his senior debut for the Australian national team. His multicultural upbringing is reflected in his proficiency in multiple languages.
2. Early Life and Background
Aleksandar Šušnjar's early life was marked by a significant decision to pursue his football aspirations abroad, shaping his foundational development in the sport.
2.1. Birth and Early Life
Aleksandar Šušnjar was born in Perth, Australia, on August 19, 1995. When he was 13 years old, his father posed the question of whether he would be interested in moving to Serbia to build a professional football career. Šušnjar decided to take the opportunity, believing that "if it didn't work out, I could always come back." While in Serbia, he diligently managed his education by participating in Australian correspondence courses, navigating the time differences to ensure his studies continued alongside his football training.
2.2. Youth Career
Šušnjar spent his formative years in youth football academies, with a significant period from 2010 to 2013 at Rad, a prominent club in Belgrade, Serbia. This experience laid the groundwork for his transition into senior professional football.
3. Club Career
Šušnjar's professional club career has spanned multiple leagues and countries, featuring stints in Europe, South Korea's K League, and Australia's A-League. He primarily plays as a centre-back.
3.1. European Clubs
Šušnjar began his senior professional career in Europe. He joined Lithuanian side Ekranas in 2013, playing for them during the 2013 A Lyga and 2014 A Lyga seasons. During his time with Ekranas, he made 30 appearances and scored 5 goals. Following the dissolution of Ekranas in 2014, he moved to Romanian club FC Botoșani in 2015, though he did not make any appearances for the team. In August 2015, he transferred to FK Donji Srem in Serbia, where he played 23 matches and scored 1 goal. During this period, he also had a brief spell in Australia, playing for Perth SC in the 2015 National Premier Leagues, making 4 appearances and scoring 1 goal. In February 2016, Šušnjar returned to Lithuania, signing with Lietava Jonava for the 2016 A Lyga season, where he recorded 14 appearances and 1 goal.
From 2016 to 2017, he played for Romanian Liga I club CS Gaz Metan Mediaș, making 18 appearances. After six months with Gaz Metan Mediaș, he moved to the Czech Republic, joining FK Teplice in 2017, where he played 27 matches. In January 2018, Šušnjar completed a permanent transfer to another Czech club, FK Mladá Boleslav, making 9 appearances. On July 24, 2018, he moved to Slovakian club MŠK Žilina on a six-month loan deal, playing in 12 matches. In 2023, he briefly played for FK Novi Pazar in Serbia, making 3 appearances.
3.2. K League
On February 28, 2019, Šušnjar moved to South Korea to play for Busan IPark in the K League on a loan deal. During his time with Busan IPark, he made 29 appearances. His registered name in the K League was 수신야르Susin-yareuKorean.
3.3. A-League
Šušnjar has had several spells in the Australian A-League Men. In October 2020, he joined Macarthur FC, an expansion club in the A-League. He remained with Macarthur FC until May 2023, accumulating 50 appearances and scoring 2 goals. In September 2023, he returned to his hometown club, Perth Glory, in the A-League Men. In May 2024, it was announced that Šušnjar would be leaving Perth Glory to join Newcastle Jets, with the move confirmed on June 26, 2024.
4. International Career
Aleksandar Šušnjar has represented national teams at both youth and senior levels, for Serbia and Australia respectively.
4.1. Youth National Teams
Šušnjar initially represented Serbia at the youth level, making one appearance for the Serbian U-17 side in 2011. By January 2018, he had come to the attention of the Australian FA and subsequently made his debut for the Australian U-23 team, making 3 appearances.
4.2. Senior National Team
In March 2018, Šušnjar received his first call-up to the senior Australian national team by then-coach Bert van Marwijk for upcoming friendly matches. He made his debut for Australia in a friendly game against the Norway national team on March 23, 2018, marking his first and only senior international appearance to date.
5. Personal Life
Beyond his football career, Aleksandar Šušnjar's personal life reflects his multicultural background and has occasionally been marked by instances of mistaken identity.
5.1. Physical Attributes
Aleksandar Šušnjar is 75 in (191 cm) (6 ft 3 in) tall and weighs 179 lb (81 kg) (179 lb).
5.2. Languages
Aleksandar Šušnjar is a Serbian-Australian, reflecting his diverse background. In addition to his native English, he is proficient in several other languages. He can speak Serbian, Lithuanian, and Czech, and is able to "get by" in Romanian. This linguistic ability is a testament to his time playing football in various European countries.
5.3. Name Confusion
Šušnjar has frequently been confused with another Serbian footballer who shares the same name, Aleksandar Šušnjar, who was born a year earlier in 1994 and previously played for FK Donji Srem. This confusion has also extended to his older brother, Milan Šušnjar, who is also a footballer.