Michael Baird (soccer)

Michael William Baird (born 1 August 1983 in Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian soccer player striker. Michael has played in both the National Soccer League (NSL) and the A-League, spending time at clubs in New South Wales and Queensland. The young striker then moved overseas to play with Universitatea Craiova in the Romanian top flight; however, due to a contract dispute, he moved back to Australia to compete in the A-League for Perth Glory missing out on the first 3 rounds of the 2010/2011 season due to his lack of provisional clearance by FIFA.

Michael Baird
Personal information
Full name Michael William Baird
Date of birth (1983-08-01) 1 August 1983
Place of birth Brisbane, Australia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward, Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Narangba Eagles
Youth career
1987–0000 Newmarket SFC
Pine Hills
The Gap
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Brisbane Lions 17 (7)
2001–2002 Brisbane Strikers 14 (7)
2002–2003 South Melbourne 18 (6)
2003–2004 Sydney Olympic 11 (4)
2004 → Queensland Lions 7 (2)
2004–2005 Bonnyrigg White Eagles 13 (7)
2005–2006 Brisbane Roar 14 (6)
2006–2009 Universitatea Craiova 67 (18)
2010–2011 Perth Glory 13 (1)
2011–2012 Central Coast Mariners 3 (0)
2012 Sabah FA 8 (4)
2013 Peninsula Power 19 (15)
2013 Universitatea Craiova 11 (1)
2014 PSM Makassar 11 (3)
2015–2016 Rochedale Rovers 28 (12)
2017–2018 Peninsula Power 6 (2)
2018 North Pine United 1 (0)
2021– Narangba Eagles 9 (4)
International career
2002–2004 Australia U-20 10 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 June 2019

Club career

Michael Baird was born in Newmarket, Brisbane and began playing football at the age of five, with his local club, Newmarket SFC. In 2000, he began his professional career, with the Brisbane Lions Soccer Club (now known as Queensland Lions FC) in the Brisbane Premier League. Baird stayed with them in 2001, and scored 7 goals from 17 games during the season. In 2001–02, Baird was promoted to the National Soccer League, signing with the Brisbane Strikers, with whom he scored 4 goals from 15 appearances. The club finished fourth on the league table,[1] but at the end of the season Baird signed with the team who had defeated the Strikers in the elimination final, South Melbourne FC for 2002–03. Meanwhile, Baird made 18 appearances for South Melbourne in the 2002–03 NSL season, scoring 4 goals as they finished 7th, one point shy of the finals.[2]

Upon returning to Australia, Baird completed the 2003–04 season with Sydney Olympic, picking up 2 goals in his 11 appearances. Baird returned briefly to the Queensland Lions for the 2004 QPL season, helping the team to the premiership[3] before transferring to the Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the New South Wales Premier League.

In late 2004, Baird received offers from new A-League clubs Queensland Roar and the Central Coast Mariners, but made the decision to sign with his home club, thus becoming one of the first recruits for the Roar.[4] Baird played in Queensland's 3–0 loss to Sydney FC in the Australian qualifiers for the 2004–05 Oceania Club Championship, but in late June he was struck with osteitis pubis, and it was feared he would miss the start of the inaugural A-League season.[5] However, despite not playing in Queensland's Pre-Season Cup matches, Baird was fit in time for their first A-League game, scoring the final goal in their 2–0 win over the New Zealand Knights.[6] Baird made a total of 20 appearances for the Roar in the 2005–06 season, scoring 6 goals and earning a red card in a round 14 match against the Mariners.[7] Late in the season, Baird was released from the second year of his Roar contract to sign a four-year deal with Romanian club FC Universitatea Craiova,[8] and finished off his A-League career with a goal in his final game.[9] On 15 April 2010 it was confirmed that Baird along with his FC Universitatea Craiova teammate Josh Mitchell had returned home to sign for A-League side Perth Glory.[10] After Struggling to make an impact with Perth Glory it was announced that on 6 January 2011 that Central Coast Mariners had signed the forward until the end of the 2011–2012 season.[11]

On 17 November 2011, Baird joined the Malaysian club, Sabah FA as one of the two foreign players allowed in the 2012 Malaysia Super League. Baird, alongside his fellow countrymen, Brendan Gan signed a one-year contract Sabah.[12] Baird scored 4 goals in 8 appearances for Sabah.

In August 2013, Baird came back with Romanian club, FC Universitatea Craiova here Baird Score 3 goals in 14 appearances for FC Universitatea Craiova and has terminated the contract with them in December 2013.

In January 2014, Baird joined Indonesian club, PSM Makassar. His contract was terminated after the 2014 Indonesia Super League finished.[13]

International career

At the age of 19, Baird was selected in the Australian national team to play in the Oceania Football Confederation qualifying matches for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He played in Australia's first match, a 2–0 victory over Vanuatu, then scored 4 goals in an 11-0 thrashing of Fiji in the first leg of the tournament final.[14]

Baird was selected in the 20-man squad to represent Australia in the 2003 World Youth Championship,[15] also playing in Australia's 2–0 victory over the United Arab Emirates in the leadup to the tournament.[16] During the competition, however, Baird only managed a 32-minute appearance in Australia's 2–1 win over Canada,[17] preferred behind Alex Brosque, Scott McDonald and Spase Dilevski. Australia finished on top of their group with 7 points, including a surprise victory over Brazil, before losing 1-0 to the hosts, the United Arab Emirates in the round of sixteen.

References
  1. "2001–2002 Season A-League Table". OzSoccer. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  2. "2002–2003 Season A-League Table". OzSoccer. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  3. "2004 Queensland Premier League – Final Table". OzSoccer. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  4. "Home-Boy Baird Glad to be Back". 28 April 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  5. "Baird and Simpson Injury Blow". 29 June 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  6. "Queensland Roar vs New Zealand Knights FC". Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  7. "Central Coast Mariners FC vs Queensland Roar FC". Archived from the original on 29 November 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  8. "Baird to Romania". 20 January 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  9. "Baird Bids Farewell with a Goal". 8 February 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  10. "Glory Bring Back Romania Aussies". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  11. "Baird heads to Mariners". Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  12. Former rising star given another chance for shot at Glory Retrieved at 18 November 2011
  13. "3 Pemain Asing PSM Bakal Tergusur" (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  14. "Oceania U-20 World Cup 2003 Qualifiers". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  15. "Australia – Squad List". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  16. "Young Socceroos Bounce Back After Break". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  17. "Match Report – Australia-Canada". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
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