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.

Joshua Laws
Personal information
Full name Joshua Laws
Date of birth (1998-02-26) 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
Men's football
Representing  Australia
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Third place2020 ThailandU-23 Team
*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
As of 15 August 2023[15][16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fortuna Düsseldorf II 2016–17 Regionalliga West 00——00
2017–18 Regionalliga West 60——60
2018–19 Regionalliga West 80——80
2019–20 Regionalliga West 90——90
Total2300000230
Wellington Phoenix 2020–21 A-League 140——140
2021–22 A-League Men 15030—183
2022–23 A-League Men 21030—240
Total5006000560
Grasshopper 2023–24 Super League 0000—00
Career total7306000790
  1. Includes Australia Cup

See also

References
  1. Hewett, William (30 October 2010). "Football:Wellington Phoenix sign Australian midfielder Joshua Laws". Newshub. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  2. "The Aussie kid bidding to lay down the Laws in Germany". Special Broadcasting Service. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  3. Rollo, Phillip (6 February 2021). "Joshua Laws not taking game-time for granted after 12 injuries in three years". Stuff.
  4. "Wellington Phoenix sign up Australian U-23 Joshua Laws". 30 October 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. Rollo, Phillip (23 June 2021). "Wellington Phoenix resign dependable defender Joshua Laws". Stuff. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  6. Lewis, Brad (23 June 2021). "Football: Wellington Phoenix defender Joshua Laws inks two-year extension with A-League club". Newshub. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  7. "Wellington Phoenix release eight players ahead of 2023–24 ALM rebuild". ESPN.
  8. "GC Zürich signs centre back Joshua Laws". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. "Joshua Laws für Schottland aktiv" [Joshua Laws active for Scotland]. Fortuna Düsseldorf (in German). 16 January 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  10. "Joshua Laws". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  11. "Joshua Laws". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  12. "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.
  13. "Olyroo Laws in line for Thailand test". Seven News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  14. Lewis, Dave (28 December 2019). "Luckless Laws making up for lost time on road to Tokyo". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  15. "Joshua Laws". Kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  16. "J. Laws". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 May 2023.

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