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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Thomas Špiranović | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Geelong, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre Back / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Urawa Red Diamonds (on loan from 1. FC Nuremberg) |
||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| North Geelong Warriors | |||
| Keilor Park | |||
| Melbourne Knights | |||
| 2004–2006 | VIS | ||
| 2006–2007 | AIS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006– | 1. FC Nuremberg | 24 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | 1. FC Nuremberg II | 11 | (2) |
| 2010– | → Urawa Red Diamonds (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2005 | Australia U-17 | 17 | (1) |
| 2006 | Australia U-20 | 14 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Australia U-23 | 8 | (0) |
| 2008– | Australia | 4 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:00, January 18, 2010 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Matthew Špiranović (born 27 June 1988 in Geelong, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player who currently plays for J.League club, Urawa Red Diamonds on loan from Bundesliga club 1. FC Nuremberg.[1]
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Špiranović played youth football in Geelong and Melbourne before earning a scholarship with the VIS. He then graduated to the AIS in 2006. He had trialled for Melbourne Victory but was not offered a contract by it’s first-team coach Ernie Merrick who believed that Špiranović was too good to play in the A-League. On 5 October 2006, it had been reported in that Špiranović was signed to 1. FC Nuremberg upon a successful trial with the club’s First-team.[2] On 30 January 2007 Špiranović debuted for Nuremberg in a game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, he had been substituted on for the last few minutes of the game replacing fellow Australian Michael Beauchamp. On 2 February 2007 Špiranović made his full club debut in the Bundesliga in a win against FC Bayern Munich, although he was replaced at half time due to a corked thigh. Špiranović’s performance had impressed many supporters, especially in such a big game against one of the giants of German football. He played his first two full 90-minute-games in late April and early May against VfL Wolfsburg and FC Schalke 04 acting as a "special enforcer" against the teams' dangerous creative midfielders Marcelinho and Lincoln. His performance in those two games lead a Nuremberg tabloid to give Špiranović the nickname of "Nuremberg's fiercest watchdog". By this time, there were three other Australian's at FC Nuremberg: Josh Kennedy, Michael Beauchamp and Dario Vidosic.
Špiranović also took part in the DFB-Pokal 2006–07 where which Nuremberg won 3-2 against Stuttgart in the final. Due to Nuremberg's cup win, they had qualified for the early stages of the 2007–08 UEFA Cup where they would secure a spot in the tournament due to a 2-2 second-leg draw in their favour against Rapid Bucureşti where which Spiranovic had taken part in.[3] Nuremberg would finish second in their respective group and proceed to the knock-out stages. Nuremberg would be eliminated by Benfica at the round of sixteen stage as Benfica would go through due to a 1-0 first leg win, despite a 2–2 draw in Germany. Špiranović would occasionally be included, having made the bench on various occasions but not being included in the playing squad.[4][5]
As the 2007–08 Bundesliga season came to a close, Nuremberg had finished 16th and would be relegated to the German Second Division. In November 2008 Špiranović picked up a long-term hamstring injury and ruptured an ankle tendon which restricted him to just eight appearances for the club in the 2008–09 season, despite this, in June 2009, Fulham's boss had targeted Spiranovic for a transfer by offering £1million but it was not eventuated.[6][7] Špiranović would then extend his contract for another two seasons.[8] Špiranović would spend some time playing with the Reserve team of Nuremberg while regaining his fitness.[9] Nuremberg would then finish in third place in the German Second Division and be promoted to the Bundesliga for the 2009–10 season.
"For them to come to me a year early and offer me an extension proves how much they rate me. For a player that's nice to know, especially after the season I've had. It was my first long-term injury, so it was a bit of a shock having to watch the boys playing while I was in rehab. But it's a great club, they're prepared to give the young boys a chance. I'll be signing in the next couple of days and I'm looking forward to playing regularly next season."[10] - Špiranović on his contract extension
On 17 November 2009 it had been reported that Špiranović would be loaned to another club by January 2010 in order to gain more game time.[11] It was insisted by Nuremberg sport director Martin Bader that Špiranović should gain some valuable game time as he had missed a large number of games due to injury. It was also due to the fact that as of November, Špiranović had only taken part in one Bundesliga fixture in a 4-0 loss against Bayer Leverkusen on 3 October.[12][13]
On 7 January 2010, Spiranovic joined Japanese giants Urawa Red Diamonds on loan until the end of 2010.[14][15]
In 2004 Špiranović earned a position in the Australian U17 Joeys squad, he would then go on to play for the team in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Peru in which Australia finished third in their group. In 2006, prior to his signing with 1. FC Nuremberg Špiranović would represent the Young Socceroos in the AFC Youth Championship 2006 held in India, Australia would then go onto play in the quarter-finals losing to Korea Republic. At that point, Špiranović's status gained the attention of the Croatian Football Federation.
Due to his parents' heritage, he was eligible to represent either Australia, England or Croatia at senior level; however, on 4 April 2007, Špiranović announced his intention to play for Australia. Špiranović represented the Olyroos at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games playing in all three group matches against Serbia, Argentina and Cote d'Ivoire before the team finished third in their respective group.
After Špiranović had chosen to play for the country of his birth, he was called up at senior level for a friendly against Uruguay held on 2 June 2007. Špiranović did not play in the defeat against the South Americans and surprisingly missed out on a spot in Australia's 2007 Asian Cup Squad, in which only five recognized defenders were selected. Spiranovic made his senior international debut for the Socceroos on 23 May 2008, coming on as a substitute against Ghana, followed by a start in the World Cup Qualifier against China on 22 June 2008.
Špiranović grew up in the suburb of Wandana Heights of Geelong's South-West suburb's. He attended St Robert's Primary School of Geelong and then St. Joseph's College, Geelong from 2001 until 2005 when he had been accepted into the AIS. Due to his father, who had been born in England, Spiranovic was eligible to represent England at International level.
Matthew's family is in association with the North Geelong Warriors S.C, a Croatian founded club where Špiranović had began playing Youth football in Geelong. Špiranović is seen by the Australian public as one of the most promising youngsters in Australian football.
With 
1. FC Nuremberg
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   | date=6 - Sky Sports | Football | Bundesliga | FC Nurnberg |
| | accessmonthday=4 - SBS The World Game - Spiranovic picks Australia |
| | Schalke 04 - Nurnberg - Schalke 04 vs 1. FC Nürnberg in Bundesliga 2006/2007 - Football |
| | Nurnberg - Wolfsburg - 1. FC Nürnberg vs VfL Wolfsburg in Bundesliga 2006/2007 - Football |
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