Connor Pain

Connor Thomas Pain (born 11 November 1993) is an Australian professional football (soccer) player who plays as a forward for Al-Orobah. He signed his first professional contract in March 2013 for Melbourne Victory.

Connor Pain
Pain with the Young Socceroos in 2013
Personal information
Full name Connor Thomas Pain[1]
Date of birth (1993-11-11) 11 November 1993
Place of birth Sha Tin, British Hong Kong[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Al-Orobah
Number 7
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Malvern City 20 (4)
2012 Bentleigh Greens 19 (1)
2012–2016 Melbourne Victory 53 (3)
2016–2019 Central Coast Mariners 73 (11)
2019–2023 Western United 105 (9)
2023– Al-Orobah 8 (4)
International career‡
2013 Australia U-20 5 (0)
2014–2016 Australia U-23 15 (0)
2013 Australia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:03, 8 July 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 October 2016

Pain has made one appearance for Australia, in 2013 against China.

Early life
Pain training for Melbourne Victory in 2013

Pain's grandfather Tommy Casey played in Newcastle United's 1955 FA Cup Final‑winning team and for the Northern Ireland team which reached the quarter finals of the 1958 FIFA World Cup.[4][5]

His father, Craig Pain, was a rugby union player who played in the Hong Kong Sevens Rugby Tournament between 1987 and 1993 and coached Hong Kong in the 2002 tournament.[6] Pain went to Beaumaris Primary School.

Club career

Melbourne Victory

Pain made his A-League debut for Melbourne Victory in a Melbourne Derby against Melbourne Heart on 2 February 2013.[7]

He made his first start for the club a week later, against Central Coast Mariners.[8]

In 2013, he was singled out for praise by then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers after a friendly match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[9]

Central Coast Mariners

Pain moved to the Central Coast Mariners in June 2016 in a swap deal for Mitch Austin.[10] Pain made his debut for the Mariners against Perth Glory on 8 October 2016, putting on a man of the match performance in an eventual 3–3 draw.[11] He scored his first goal for the club in a win over Adelaide United one month later with a powerful strike from outside the area.[12]

Western United

On 14 April 2019 Pain signed for new A-League club, Western United.[13] He played in the club’s first ever A-League Championship, in 2021-22, and was the first ever to play 100 games for Western United.

Al-Orobah

On 8 July 2023, Western United confirmed that Pain would leave the club to join Saudi First Division League side Al-Orobah.[14][15]

International career

Youth

Pain was first called up to the Australian under-20 side for a tour of Europe in May 2013.[16] He made his debut for the Young Socceroos in that tour, starting in a loss to the Netherlands in Emmen.[17] He was subsequently selected in the squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[18] Pain played in all three of Australia's games in the tournament as they were eliminated in the group stage.[19]

Pain was named in the Australia under-23 squad for the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship.[20] He played his first game for the Olyroos in a group stage win over Iran.[21] In March 2016, Pain scored a double for the team in a win over Hong Kong in 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification.[22] He was later named in the squad for the final tournament.[23]

Senior

Following the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, in July 2013 Pain received his first call up for Australia for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup in South Korea.[24] He and Melbourne Victory teammate Nathan Coe left the squad midway through the tournament for a club friendly against Liverpool.[25] Nonetheless, Pain returned for the final game of the tournament against China and made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 4–3 loss.[26]

Personal life

Pain is currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University.[27]

Honours

Club

Melbourne Victory:

Western United

References
  1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Australia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2013. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
  2. "Melbourne Victory youngster Connor Pain signs pro deal with club". Adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. "Connor Pain". melbournevictory.com.au. Melbourne Victory. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. Harper, Tony (7 March 2013). "Melbourne Victory supporter Connor Pain completes incredible journey, signing with the A-League giants". Fox Sports. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  5. "Tommy Casey: Wing-half who won the FA Cup with Newcastle and played in the 1958 World Cup for Northern Ireland". The Independent. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  6. Kalinic, Dejan (7 March 2013). "Pain aiming high at Victory". Football Federation Australia. Omnisport. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  7. "The Remarkable Story of Connor Pain". The Sporting Journal. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. "Flores misses as Pain gains a start". The Age. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  9. "Rodgers: Victory's Pain hurt us". au.fourfourtwo.com. 25 July 2013.
  10. "Mitch Austin joins Melbourne Victory, who send Connor Pain to Central Coast". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  11. "Positive signs so far for Mariners under Okon". The World Game. Special Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  12. "Adelaide feels the Pain". FourFourTwo. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  13. "Signing news: Western United confirm double swoop". Hyundai A-League. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  14. Pisani, Sacha (8 July 2023). "Western United star the latest to join Saudi Arabia transfer spree". keepup.com.au. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  15. "بايين يدعم صفوف العروبة".
  16. "Victory quartet to represent Young Socceroos". Melbourne Victory FC. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  17. "Qantas Young Socceroos beaten by the Netherlands". 26 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  18. "Five NSW players selected for Young Socceroos World Cup squad". Football NSW. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  19. "Connor Pain". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  20. "Vidmar has sights on Rio 2016 at AFC U-22 Championships". Football Federation Australia. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  21. "Olyroos top group with Iran win". FourFourTwo. 15 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  22. "Olyroos Olympic qualifier: Australia off to flier in Rio 2016 path with 6–0 romp over Hong Kong". Fox Sports. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  23. "Socceroos quartet headline Australia U-23 squad". Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  24. "Osieck welcomes young guns to Socceroos squad". Football Federation Australia. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  25. "Victory's Coe, Pain available to play Liverpool". Goal.com. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  26. "Brief taste leaves Birighitti, Pain wanting more". Goal.com. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  27. "Elite Athlete Program Profiles". Deakin University. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
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