Lawrence Thomas (soccer)

Lawrence Andrew Kingsley Thomas is an Australian football (soccer) goalkeeper who plays for Danish Superliga club SønderjyskE.

Lawrence Thomas
Thomas playing for Melbourne Victory in 2012
Personal information
Full name Lawrence Andrew Kingsley Thomas
Date of birth (1992-05-09) 9 May 1992
Place of birth Sydney, Australia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 SønderjyskE
Number 1
Youth career
Marconi Stallions
Blacktown City
2009–2010 AIS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Bankstown City 25 (0)
2011 Sheffield United 0 (0)
2011–2020 Melbourne Victory 122 (0)
2012 → Bentleigh Greens (loan) 19 (0)
2020– SønderjyskE 7 (0)
National team‡
2007–2008 Australia U-17 4 (0)
2009 Australia U-20 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 September 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 May 2019

Thomas has represented Australia through the Australia U-17s and Australia U-20s.

Career

Born in Sydney, Australia Thomas played for NSW Premier League club Marconi Stallions, Blacktown City Demons and the Australian Institute of Sport for the National Youth League season. Thomas was signed to Bankstown City for the 2010 NSW Premier League season in which Bankstown finished 8th.

Thomas went on a trial with Football League Championship club Coventry City F.C. in 2010,[2] however this was not successful and was released. In 2011 fellow Championship club Sheffield United signed Thomas until the end of the 2010–11 season.[3][4]

Melbourne Victory

In September 2011 Thomas began trialling with A-League club Melbourne Victory.[5] On 15 September the club announced that he had signed a two-year contract.[6]

Thomas made his debut with Melbourne Victory as a player in the Round 5 clash with reigning premiers and champions Brisbane Roar at Etihad Stadium, coming on as a substitute after Victory first choice goalkeeper Ante Čović was sent off by referee Ben Williams for bringing down a Roar player in the Penalty area. He made an impressive debut, pulling off brilliant saves and helping Victory to a two all draw.[7] Thomas made his second appearance in the Round 6 clash against A-League runners-up Central Coast, again putting up an impressive performance, pulling off brilliant saves and keeping a clean sheet in the Victory's nil-all draw.

Thomas made his third appearance in the Round 1 clash against crosstown rivals Melbourne Heart. Despite putting up an impressive performance, and making several brilliant saves, the Victory went down 2–1 to the Heart, with goals coming from David Williams and Dylan Macallister.

While Thomas improved, he would struggle to get regular game time, often being the second choice goal keeper behind Covic, Nathan Coe and later Danny Vukovic.

A drop in form from Coe in the latter stages of the 2013/14 season would see Thomas get a chance to become the number one keeper but failed to grasp it, allowing Coe to be recalled back into the starting lineup. A year later a similar situation arose, however this time through a Coe injury. This time Thomas made the most of the opportunity, putting in consistently good performances, culminating in a very good albeit somewhat quiet game in the grand final against Sydney FC, to make it hard for Coe to return to the team as first choice keeper.

Coe would depart the club at the off-season with most assuming that meant Thomas would be taking the number one goal keeping position. However, in a slightly surprising move, Melbourne Victory would sign Perth Glory 'keeper Danny Vukovic meaning that yet again, Thomas would have to settle for the back up 'keeping spot again.

In the 2015/16 season, Vukovic would make a decent start to the season but then, against Brisbane Roar, would concede 5 goals, opening the door up again for Thomas to come in to the side again and wouldn't go out of the side for the rest of the year.

Vukovic would depart for Sydney FC at the end of the season, which again most people thought that Thomas would become the number one 'keeper. This would finally happen with Victory signing a former backup 'keeper from the Central Coast Mariners as a back up for Thomas.

In the 2016/17 season, Thomas would put in consistent performances, with the exception of the derby which ended in a 4–1 defeat.

On 5 May 2018 Lawrence was named the best on ground in his team's 1–0 grand final win over Newcastle Jets, and he received the Joe Marston Medal.[8]

The Victory announced that Thomas had left the club to pursue overseas opportunities in July 2020.[9] On 2 August 2020, Lawrence signed a 2-year deal with Danish Superliga club SønderjyskE.[10]

Career statistics
As of 9 December 2018

CS = Clean Sheets

Club Season Division League1 Cup International2 Total
Apps CS Apps CS Apps CS Apps CS
Bankstown City 2010 NSW Premier League 25?––––25?
Total 25?–––– 25?
Sheffield United 2010–11 Football League Championship 0000––00
Total 0000–– 00
Melbourne Victory 2011–12[11] A-League 21––––21
2012–13[11] 20––––20
2013–14[11] 50––2171
2014–15[11] 6020––80
2015–16[11] 501050110
2016–17[11] 28040--320
2017–18[11] 2802050350
2018–19[11] 2500000 250
Total 102?90––105?
Bentleigh Greens (loan) 2012[12] Victorian Premier League 19600––196
Total 19600–– 196
Career Total 12879001 1498

1 – includes A-League final series statistics
 2 – AFC Champions League statistics are included in season commencing during group stages. (i.e. ACL 2014 and A-League season 2013–2014 etc.)

International career

Thomas has represented Australia at 2008 Qantas Joeys under-16 ASEAN Youth Championship 2009 HKFC IP Global Soccer 7s U-17s[13] and Australia U-20 level, with four caps at under-17 level and one cap at under-20 level.

On 7 March 2011 he was selected to represent the Australia Olympic football team in an Asian Olympic Qualifier match against Iraq.[14]

Personal life

Thomas was born on 9 May 1992 in Sydney, New South Wales, to an Australian father (deceased) and a mother of Italian descent.

Honours

Club

Melbourne Victory

Individual

References
  1. "Lawrence Thomas". melbournevictory.com.au. Melbourne Victory FC. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  2. "City look at Lawrence Thomas in goal". Coventry City F.C. 10 July 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  3. "Blades sign young keeper". Sheffield United F.C. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  4. "Sheffield United sign back-up keeper Lawrence Thomas". BBC. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  5. "Melbourne Victory give Brazilian a test run". Herald Sun. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  6. "2011/12 Playing Squad Nearing Completion". MVFC Official Website. 15 September 2011.
  7. "Nine-Man Victory Heroically Hold Champs". FourFourTwo Australia. 5 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  8. Connell, Tim (5 May 2018). "Melbourne Victory claim record fourth A-League title with win over Newcastle Jets". The Guardian.
  9. "Victory farewells Lawrence Thomas". Melbourne Victory FC. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  10. SønderjyskE henter målmand ”Down Under”, soenderjyske.dk, 2 August 2020
  11. "Lawrence Thomas (Melbourne Victory)". Ultimate A-League.
  12. "Player statistics for Lawrence Thomas". Fox Sports.
  13. "WISHING AND HOPING – THE FACES OF 2018". Givemefootball.com. 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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