Grant Brebner

Grant Ian Brebner (born 6 December 1977) is a Scottish football coach and former player who was the head coach at Australian side Melbourne Victory. Born in Edinburgh, Brebner joined Manchester United as a 16-year-old in 1994. While at Manchester United, he broke into the Scotland under-21 team, making 17 appearances between 1997 and 1999;[2] however, he was unable to find a place in the Manchester United first team and was loaned out to Cambridge United and Hibernian, before being sold to Reading for £300,000 in 1998. He then returned to Hibernian on a permanent basis, and made more than 100 appearances in a five-year stint there that included a loan spell with Stockport County. In August 2004, he was transferred to Dundee United, before moving to Australia to play for Melbourne Victory. After six years with Melbourne Victory, he joined Victorian Premier League side Moreland Zebras. He returned to Melbourne Victory as an assistant coach in 2020, before assuming the position of manager later that year, where he served until being dismissed from the position in April 2021.

Grant Brebner
Brebner playing for Melbourne Victory
Personal information
Full name Grant Ian Brebner[1]
Date of birth (1977-12-06) 6 December 1977
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
000–1994 Hutchison Vale
1994–1998 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998 Manchester United 0 (0)
1998 → Cambridge United (loan) 6 (1)
1998 → Hibernian (loan) 9 (1)
1998–1999 Reading 41 (10)
1999–2004 Hibernian 123 (6)
2000–2001 → Stockport County (loan) 6 (0)
2004–2006 Dundee United 60 (6)
2006–2012 Melbourne Victory 120 (6)
2012 Moreland Zebras 9 (0)
International career
1997–1999 Scotland U21 17 (1)
Managerial career
2012 Moreland Zebras
2013–2014 Richmond SC
2015–2020 Melbourne Victory FC Youth (assistant)
2020 Melbourne Victory (caretaker)
2020–2021 Melbourne Victory
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Early career

On leaving school in 1994, Brebner signed for Manchester United as an apprentice, playing in the FA Youth Cup winning side of 1995 and turning professional soon after. FourFourTwo magazine hailed him as the latest big talent to be produced by Manchester United's youth system.[3]

After four years in United's youth and reserve teams, Brebner was loaned to Cambridge United, where he scored his first senior goal while making six appearances. A further loan spell was spent back in Edinburgh at Hibernian, where Brebner suffered relegation at the end of the 1997–98 season.

Brebner was then transferred permanently to Reading at the start of the 1998–99 season. He was already 21 years old, but had never played a single first-team game for Manchester United. During his time at Reading, he scored 10 goals in 41 league games. He was also responsible for scoring the first ever goal at the Madejski Stadium, but he suffered from homesickness during his time at the club.[4]

Scotland

After just one season with Reading, Brebner returned to Hibernian on a permanent deal. Brebner moved on loan again to Stockport County during the 2000–01 season, but then established himself in the Hibs first team, playing in the 2001 Scottish Cup Final and the UEFA Cup.[3] Brebner scored a hat-trick against future employers Dundee United in a Scottish Cup match in February 2003.[5] He was latterly club captain at Hibs,[4] and was a senior player in the side with young stars like Kevin Thomson and Scott Brown.[3]

Brebner was surprisingly[6] transferred to Dundee United in August 2004, despite having just signed a three-year contract with Hibs.[4] He missed just three matches in his first season with United and scored seven times from 64 appearances in all for United. Following a change in management at the club, however, Brebner was informed by his new manager Craig Brewster in April 2006 that he would be allowed to leave the club at the end of the 2005–06 season.[7]

Melbourne Victory

On 26 May 2006, Brebner was reported by BBC Sport to be attracting interest from Melbourne Victory.[8] He subsequently flew to Australia for talks with the A-League club.[9] Brebner came on as a trialist and scored for Victory with seconds remaining, in the QNI North Queensland Challenge Trophy game versus Central Coast Mariners on 18 June. Securing a 2–2 draw, Brebner then scored the winning penalty to seal a 4–2 shoot-out win. On Brebner's performance, Victory manager Ernie Merrick said: "There's not too much more you can do when you're on trial than come in and win the game, is there?".[10] In Victory's second match on 20 June, Brebner completed the full 90 minutes, playing in a 3–1 win over Chinese team Changchun Yatai. Brebner completed a successful trial period by netting a 28-yard free-kick as Victory won the trophy with a 6–1 win over the Chinese team in the final, on 24 June.

On the back of his impressive displays during his trial, Brebner was signed to a full-time contract with the Melbourne Victory, having agreed on a deal to be released from his Dundee United contract. In his first season, he helped the Victory win the 2006–07 A-League premiership with five rounds remaining. The round 19 clash with Perth Glory away at Members Equity Stadium saw Brebner take the captain's armband for the first time in the absence of regular captain Kevin Muscat and vice-captain Archie Thompson. He scored the last of the five goals against Newcastle Jets in round 3 of the 2008–09 season. This was his second goal for the club, after scoring a late winner against Perth Glory in the 2006–07 season.

Brebner received Australian residency status at the start of 2009, which meant he no longer counted towards the Victory's overseas player quota.[11]

Betting controversy

In December 2008, Brebner was fined A$5,000 and banned for four matches after betting on Victory to lose an AFC Champions League match against Chonburi. Brebner, who won under $550 in the bet, was not part of the squad. Craig Moore and Kevin Muscat were also fined after betting on matches not involving their own clubs.[12] Brebner had previously confessed to being a gambling addict, losing more than £100,000, and received professional help for his addiction.[6]

Managerial career

In 2013, Brebner took over the management of the football teams at Mazenod College in Mulgrave, Victoria, while also playing for the local club side, Mazenod United.[13] Later that year, he took over as manager of Richmond SC, but resigned in April 2014.[14] In 2020, he returned to Melbourne Victory as the club's assistant manager under interim coach Carlos Pérez Salvachúa, he was later appointed as the Victory's caretaker manager upon the departure of the latter.[15] On 24 August 2020, Brebner was appointed as Melbourne Victory's manager.[16] Brebner's tenure as Melbourne Victory manager coincided with the worst run of results in Melbourne Victory's history. He was sacked as head coach shortly after Victory's 7–0 loss to local rivals Melbourne City in April 2021, a result which came only a month and a half after losing 6–0 to the same team.[17]

Brebner possesses a UEFA A License.[18]

Career statistics
As of 5 February 2010
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester United 1997–98 Premier League 0000000000
Cambridge United (loan) 1997–98 English Third Division 61———61
Hibernian (loan) 1997–98 Scottish Premier Division 91———91
Reading 1998–99 English Second Division 3991031—4310
1999–2000 21—10—31
Total 41101041—4611
Hibernian 1999–2000 Scottish Premier League 2814010—331
2000–01 1104020—170
Stockport County (loan) 2000–01 English First Division 60———60
Hibernian 2001–02 Scottish Premier League 282313010353
2002–03 3233331—387
2003–04 2211031—262
2004–05 20——1030
Total 13281541221016114
Dundee United 2004–05 Scottish Premier League 3424021—403
2005–06 264—1010284
Total 606403110687
Melbourne Victory 2006–07 A-League 211———211
2007–08 140———140
2008–09 202———202
2009–10 221———221
Total 774———774
Career total 322292041943036437

Managerial statistics
As of 17 April 2021[19]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
PWDLWin %
Moreland Zebras 12 August 2012 16 September 2012 5 1 1 3 020.0
Richmond 24 May 2013 11 April 2014 21 4 7 10 019.0
Melbourne Victory 11 June 2020 17 April 2021 26 5 3 18 019.2
Total 52 10 11 31 019.2

Honours

Melbourne Victory

References
  1. The Bell's Scottish Football Review 2005/06. Cre8 Publishing. 2005. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-95485-561-1.
  2. "Grant Brebner". fitbastats.com. Bobby Sinnet & Thomas Jamieson. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. Brebner on a journey of discovery that will never reach its end, The Herald, 3 June 2009.
  4. Brebner's new beginning, The Sunday Times, 3 October 2004.
  5. "Brebner is Hibs hero". BBC Sport. 13 February 2003.
  6. SOCCER STAR'S GAMBLING CONFESSION: I'm addicted to betting, Sunday Mirror, 14 November 2004.
  7. "Brebner poised for Tannadice exit". BBC Sport. 27 April 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  8. "Melbourne give Brebner a way out". BBC Sport. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  9. "Brebner jets to Australia for Melbourne talks". tribalfootball.com. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  10. "Triallist the hero in tournament victory". Football Federation Australia. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  11. Bernard, Grantley (19 March 2009). "Melbourne Victory may launch title defence in China". Herald Sun. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  12. "Brebner, Moore and Muscat fined for bets". The Scotsman. 20 December 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  13. "Scottish footballer Grant Brebner to coach Mazenod College teams and play for Mazenod United". Leader Community Newspapers. News Corporation. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  14. Gojszyk, Mark. "Grant Brebner quits Richmond SC". The Corner Flag. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  15. "Grant Brebner appointed interim Head Coach for 2019/20 season". Melbourne Victory FC. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  16. "Grant Brebner appointed Head Coach". Melbourne Victory FC. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  17. "Victory coach Brebner sacked after seven-goal derby drubbing". SBS Sport. 17 April 2021.
  18. "GRANT BREBNER". Melbourne Victory Academy. Melbourne Victory FC. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  19. "Grant Brebner". ALeagueStats. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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