Joshua Laws
Joshua Laws (born 26 February 1998) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a center back for Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Club Zürich.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Joshua Laws | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 26 February 1998 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Center back | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Grasshopper Club Zürich | ||||||||||||||||
Number | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
Blackburn Rovers | |||||||||||||||||
2012–2016 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | ||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
2016–2020 | Fortuna Düsseldorf II | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2020–2023 | Wellington Phoenix | 50 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2023– | Grasshoppers | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
2013 | Scotland U15 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2013–2014 | Scotland U16 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2015 | Australia U17 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2017–2020 | Australia U23 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 May 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 January 2021 |
Early life
Laws was born in Scotland. He moved to Sydney, Australia aged four before returning to the United Kingdom at the age of twelve.[1][2] When Laws was fourteen, he moved to Germany.[2]
Playing career
Fortuna Düsseldorf
Laws began training with Fortuna Düsseldorf's first team in 2016, before suffering a broken arm and then another subsequent break in the same place.[2] He would later suffer numerous ankle ligament injuries and a medial collateral ligament injury in his time at the club.[3]
Wellington Phoenix
Laws signed for A-League side Wellington Phoenix in October 2020, reuniting with his former Australian youth team coach Ufuk Talay.[4] He began the 2020–21 season as one of Wellington's first-choice centre backs,[3] however, he suffered an ankle injury and subsequently lost his place in the starting side.[5] Laws played fourteen games in his first season at the club.[6][5]
In June 2021, Laws signed a two-year contract extension with Wellington.[6][5] Laws was released by the Phoenix in May 2023 after three seasons at the club.[7]
Grasshopper Club Zürich
On 15 August 2023, he signed with Swiss record champions Grasshopper Club Zürich, who play in the Swiss Super League.[8] He joins on a two-year contract, with an option to extend for a further season.
Scotland
Laws initially played international youth football for Scotland's under-15 and under-16 national teams. This included participating in the 2014 Aegean Cup, where he played against Norway.[9]
In total, Laws played three times for Scotland's under 15 side and five times for the under-16 team, scoring one goal, across 2013 and 2014.[10][11]
Australia
Laws subsequently elected to represent Australia and was selected in Australia's under-17 squad for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile. Laws played as a central defender in all four of Australia's games at the tournament as they were eliminated in the Round of 16.[12]
Laws was selected in the Australian under-23 side for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship and played in the group stage game against Thailand.[13][14]
Style of play
Laws is left footed, and able to play in central midfield, central defence and left back.[2]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Fortuna Düsseldorf II | 2016–17 | Regionalliga West | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2017–18 | Regionalliga West | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
2018–19 | Regionalliga West | 8 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
2019–20 | Regionalliga West | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
Wellington Phoenix | 2020–21 | A-League | 14 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
2021–22 | A-League Men | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 18 | 3 | ||
2022–23 | A-League Men | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||
Total | 50 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | ||
Grasshopper | 2023–24 | Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Career total | 73 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 |
- Includes Australia Cup
See also
References
- Hewett, William (30 October 2010). "Football:Wellington Phoenix sign Australian midfielder Joshua Laws". Newshub. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "The Aussie kid bidding to lay down the Laws in Germany". Special Broadcasting Service. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Rollo, Phillip (6 February 2021). "Joshua Laws not taking game-time for granted after 12 injuries in three years". Stuff.
- "Wellington Phoenix sign up Australian U-23 Joshua Laws". 30 October 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Rollo, Phillip (23 June 2021). "Wellington Phoenix resign dependable defender Joshua Laws". Stuff. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Lewis, Brad (23 June 2021). "Football: Wellington Phoenix defender Joshua Laws inks two-year extension with A-League club". Newshub. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Wellington Phoenix release eight players ahead of 2023–24 ALM rebuild". ESPN.
- "GC Zürich signs centre back Joshua Laws". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- "Joshua Laws für Schottland aktiv" [Joshua Laws active for Scotland]. Fortuna Düsseldorf (in German). 16 January 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Joshua Laws". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Joshua Laws". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Josh Laws scheidet bei U17-WM Aus" [Josh Laws is elimited from the U-17 World Cup] (in German). October 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Olyroo Laws in line for Thailand test". Seven News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Lewis, Dave (28 December 2019). "Luckless Laws making up for lost time on road to Tokyo". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- "Joshua Laws". Kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "J. Laws". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 May 2023.