Debut:
Socceroos Cap Number: 622
Major Tournaments: FIFA World Cup 2022
Current Club: Hearts of Midlothian FC (Scotland)
Previous Clubs: Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners
Junior Club: Palm Beach SC (Queensland)
The last of the debutants during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Graham Arnold's selection of young centre-back Kye Rowles prior to the inter-continental play-offs proved a masterstroke, with the defender producing two man-of-the-match performances through the heat of Doha, against difficult opponents including the United Arab Emirates and Peru.
Rowles is familiar with the green and gold, having made his international debut at youth level, with the Australian U17 team for the 2015 U17 FIFA World Cup. Following on from the tournament, the defender signed his first professional contract with A-League men's side Brisbane Roar.
Having searched for more game-time, the then 19-year-old moved to the Central Coast Mariners in June 2017, initially signing a one-year deal with the team. Rowles outlasted that deal by a matter of six seasons, becoming instrumental to the Mariners revival during his 104 appearances, propping the club to a position of consistent finals appearances.
The green and gold would call Rowles once again, with coach Arnold selecting Rowles in his squad for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, with the tournament being a rehearsal, for the role that the 24-year-old would play within the Socceroos set-up, just one year later, in Qatar.
The centre-back later signed with Scottish outfit Hearts of Midlothian FC, joining compatriots and fellow Olyroo graduates Nathaniel Atkinson and Cameron Devlin. A fractured foot sustained in August would make it a race against the clock to be fit in time for the FIFA World Cup, but after playing a handful of senior matches for Hearts before the tournament he was named in the final 26-man squad and played all four matches at centre-back as Australia advanced to the Round of 16.
