 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robbie Thomas Kruse | ||
| Date of birth | 5 October 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Brisbane, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Bayer Leverkusen | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2005 | QAS | ||
| 2005–2006 | AIS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2009 | Brisbane Roar | 26 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Melbourne Victory | 39 | (16) |
| 2011–2013 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 41 | (4) |
| 2013– | Bayer Leverkusen | 10 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2005 | Australia U17 | 11 | (3) |
| 2006 | Australia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2011– | Australia | 25 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 November 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:50, 11 June 2013 (UTC) | |||
Robbie Thomas Kruse (born 5 October 1988) is an Australian footballer who plays as a forward forBundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Australian national team. He began his career with A-Leaguesides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory before moving to Germany in 2011 to play in the Bundesliga, first with Fortuna Düsseldorf and currently with Bayer Leverkusen.
Club career
Brisbane Roar
Recruited in 2006 by Miron Bleiberg, Kruse was injured during an otherwise successful Hyundai A-Leaguepreseason during training.[1] He scored on his debut against Wellington Phoenix on 5 October 2007, his nineteenth birthday, with what was to be the winning goal for that game.[2][3]
On 19 October 2007, Kruse struck against the Newcastle Jets for his second goal of his A-League career.[4] On 16 November, he got his third with an excellent curling effort to the far post as Brisbane beat Melbourne 1–0.[5]
Kruse and his close friend Michael Zullo formed a good partnership with each playing either side of a striker in a three-man attack for Brisbane which coincided with a seven match unbeaten streak.[6]
Kruse's place in Roar's starting line-up was in jeopardy at the beginning of the 2008 A-league season after he was involved in an altercation outside a Queensland nightspot. The fight resulted in Kruse needing stitches and the then-19-year-old incurring the wrath of club coach Frank Farina.[7][8]
Melbourne Victory
Kruse was linked to a move to reigning A-league premiers Melbourne Victory following the departure of Melbourne striker Danny Allsopp to Qatar club Al-Rayyan.[9] On 10 September 2009, it was confirmed that Kruse had left the Roar for Melbourne Victory.[10]
Kruse made his first appearance for the Victory on 13 September 2009 against Wellington Phoenix after replacing Ney Fabiano at the 58th minute. He scored his first goal for the Victory in the 4–0 demolition of Gold Coast United on 28 November 2009.
A highlight of Kruse's professional career was when he scored a first half hat-trick on 16 January 2010 against the Perth Glory.[11] The Victory went on to win 6–2 as the Glory had no answer for Kruse's pace and well timed runs. His fifth goal came against Sydney FC in the major semi final when struck a curling shot which left Sydney FC keeper Clint Bolton no chance as it tore in to the top right corner. His sixth goal for Melbourne came against Gold Coast United when he rounded goalkeeper and former teammate Glen Moss to slide the ball into the open net.
He was the first player to score a brace in a Melbourne derby, helping Victory to a 3–1 win over their rivals Melbourne Heart in December 2010.
At Victory, Kruse was known for turning his career around through his development and change of attitude, no longer getting caught up in off-field incidents like he did whilst in Brisbane, and taking his footballing potential much more seriously.
Fortuna Düsseldorf[
Following his form for the Victory, Kruse signed with German side Fortuna Düsseldorf on a three-year contract beginning with the 2011–12 season.[12] He made his competitive debut for the club on 24 July 2011 in a league match against SC Paderborn 07, making a substitute appearance in the second half.[13]Kruse started in Fortuna's return to the Bundesliga in the 2012–13 season. Kruse provided a flick on for Schahin leading to the first goal and a neat cross for Schahin's second. Fortuna went on to win the match 2–0 over Augsburg.[14] Kruse scored his first goal in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim.[15] In the 2–0 win over Hamburger SV, Kruse scored his second goal of the Bundesliga campaign and then provided the assist for Fortuna's second.[16]
Bayer Leverkusen
Kruse signed a three-year contract with German side Bayer Leverkusen for €1.5 million on 28 April 2013.[17] Kruse made his run-on debut against Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on 21 September 2013, scoring two goals in a 4–1 victory.
International career
On 28 December 2010, following his impressive level of play in the A-League Kruse was selected in the Australian national team's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. On 5 January 2011, he made his Socceroos debut, coming off the bench against UAE in a pre-Asian Cup friendly match. On 25 January 2011, Kruse scored his first international goal, in a 6–0 victory over Uzbekistan in the semi final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In the final of the competition, Kruse made a substitute appearance and almost scored a header with his first touch of the ball. Australia lost the final 1–0 in extra time.
Kruse scored his second international goal in a friendly match against Wales on 10 August 2011, which Australia won 2–1.[18] Kruse scored his third goal against Jordan on 11 June 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in which Australia won 4–0, and in which Kruse was also Man of the Match, with two more assists on top of his goal.[19]
International goals
- Score and Result lists Australia's goals first
