Steven Lustica

Steven Lustica
Steven Lustica playing for Western Sydney Wanderers in 2017
Personal information
Full name Steven Peter Lustica
Date of birth (1991-04-12) 12 April 1991
Place of birth Canberra, Australia
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 12 in)
Playing position Central midfielder
Club information
Current team
Inter Zaprešić
Youth career
2003–2005 Canberra FC
2005–2008 ACTAS
2008–2009 Sydney FC Youth
2009–2011 Gold Coast United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Gold Coast United 4 (0)
2011–2013 Hajduk Split 26 (1)
2012Dugopolje (loan) 10 (1)
2013Brisbane Roar (loan) 12 (2)
2013–2014 Adelaide United 15 (1)
2014–2016 Brisbane Roar 54 (6)
2016–2018 Western Sydney Wanderers 23 (1)
2018– Inter Zaprešić 1 (0)
National team
2009–2011 Australia U-20 21 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 August 2018

Steven Peter Lustica (born 12 April 1991) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays for Inter Zaprešić in the Prva HNL.

He is of Croat origin, his cousin Slavko Luštica was a footballer at Hajduk Split.

Club career

Gold Coast

On 24 April 2009, it was confirmed that Lustica had been signed by Gold Coast United,[1] after impressing United's assistant coach, Paul Okon, during his tenure as under-18s coach at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival.[2]

On 19 September 2009, he made his senior debut for Gold Coast, coming off the bench in the 88th minute against Central Coast Mariners.[3]

Hajduk Split

On 8 June 2011, it was announced that Lustica had signed a contract with Croatian giant Hajduk Split.[4]

Dugopolje (loan)

On 25 January 2012 it was announced that Lustica would join Croatian 2. HNL side NK Dugopolje for the second half of the 2011–12 season.[5] Lustica made 10 appearances for Dugopolje, scoring one goal and assisting the club in achieving promotion to Prva HNL as they beat NK Pomorac Kostrena to the 2. HNL Championship by one point.[6] Lustica returned to Hajduk Split at the conclusion of Dugopolje's season.[7]

Brisbane Roar (loan)

On 26 January 2013, Brisbane Roar in the Australian A-League signed Lustica on a loan deal which would see him stay at the club until the end of the 2012–13 A-League season.[8] Prior to his signing, Brisbane were having a disappointing season, losing 10 of their opening 17 games of the season and picking up just 17 points. Reunited with former coach Mike Mulvey, Lustica would help turn around Brisbane's season. The club lost only two league games in the remaining 10 games of the regular season, qualifying for the post-season Finals, a feat which looked unlikely after the first two thirds of the season. Despite the Roar being interested in retaining Lustica, Hajduk Split refused to release him and he returned to Hajduk in June 2013.[9] Luštica scored two goals in his 12 appearances on loan with Brisbane.

Adelaide United

In September 2013, Hajduk Split changed their mind about releasing him and Lustica was granted a release from his contract which allowed him to return to the A-League with Adelaide United where he agreed a one-year contract for the 2013–14 season.[10][11] Lustica impressed in his appearances for United, earning himself a place in the Team of the Week in Round 13.[12]

Departure from Adelaide United

Lustica's time at Adelaide was to be short-lived however, when on 29 January 2014 he requested an early termination to his contract in order to make himself available to former club Brisbane Roar. As Lustica entered the final six months of his contract, he was in negotiations with Adelaide over a one-year extension. According to Adelaide, an agreement was reached in principal but not formalised. Around the same time, Brisbane approached him and an enquiry was made as to whether Adelaide would consider releasing him to join the club immediately, which Adelaide refused.[13] Following this, Adelaide head coach Josep Gombau reported that Lustica had failed to attend training and declared that Lustica was no longer welcome at the club. Lustica was subsequently released from contract with Adelaide United on 2 February 2014.[14]

Return to Brisbane Roar

On 4 February 2014, it was announced that Lustica had re-signed with former club, Brisbane Roar until the end of the 2015–16 season.[15] Lustica scored his first return goal for Brisbane Roar against the Newcastle Jets in a Round 6 clash which ended in a 4–0 victory for Roar, courtesy of an Henrique hattrick. He scored another goal in the 5–4 battering of Roar against Sydney FC. He rounded off his fairly prolific goalscoring season with a hattrick in a 6–1 win against the Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium, also providing an assist for Brandon Borrello. The first season of his second spell at the club, Lustica made 25 appearances, scoring five goals and notching two assists.

Lustica opened his goal tally for the 2015–16 season netting a composed finish against the Wellington Phoenix, a 2–1 win to the Roar, as they braved hot conditions in Cairns. At the conclusion of the season, Brisbane Roar decided not to offer Lustica a new contract.[16]

Western Sydney Wanderers

On 23 May 2016, Lustica signed with the Western Sydney Wanderers on a 2-year contract.[17] On 30 June 2018, Western Sydney Wanderers announced his release at the conclusion of his contract after making 30 appearances in all competitions.[18]

Inter Zaprešić

In July 2018, shortly after leaving Western Sydney Wanderers, Lustica joined Croatian club Inter Zaprešić.[19]

Career statistics

As of 18 August 2018
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Gold Coast United 2009–10 A-League 20000020
2010–11 20000020
Gold Coast total40000040
Hajduk Split 2011–12 Croatian First Football League 1011000111
2012–13 702020110
2013–14 50000050
Hajduk Split total 2213020271
Dugopolje (loan) 2011–12 Croatian Second Football League 1010000101
Brisbane Roar (loan) 2012–13 A-League 1220010132
Adelaide United 2013–14 1510000151
Brisbane Roar 2013–14 1000000100
2014–15 2252010255
2015–16 2210000221
Brisbane total5462010576
Western Sydney Wanderers2016–17A-League 713021122
2017–18 1602100181
Wanderers total2315121303
Inter Zaprešić 2018–19 Croatian First Football League 10000010
Career total141111016115713

Honours

Club

Sydney FC
Gold Coast United
Dugopolje
Brisbane Roar

Country

Australia

Individual

References

  1. Gold Coast gains from 'Australian' Kiwi
  2. Two Steves tame Fury
  3. Mariners lift to stun United Archived 8 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. Strahija, Ivana; Dubravac, Ante (8 June 2011). "Miličević i Luštica potpisali za Hajduk". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  5. http://www.dalmacijanews.com/Hajduk/View/tabid/88/ID/78235/Lustica-odlazi-na-posudbu-u-Dugopolje-Runje-odbio-Hajduka.aspx
  6. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1108013/aussies-abroad---may-2012
  7. http://www.coerver.com.au/wp/act/2012/09/05/great-news-from-former-coerver-kid-steven-lustica-who-is-currently-playing-in-crotia-for-club-side-hajduk-split/
  8. Lustica lands for Brisbane FootballAustralia.com
  9. Ferreira and Petratos join Roar FootballAustralia.com
  10. http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/steven-lustica-is-adelaide-uniteds-latest-signing-returning-to-the-a-league-from-hajduk-split/story-e6frf4gl-1226715876026
  11. "Reds snare Lustica for Season 9". Adelaide United FC. Football Federation Australia. 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  12. "Team of the Week: Round 13". Damien Bellemore. Football Federation Australia. 2013-09-10. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  13. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-29/adelaide-united-refuses-to-release-lustica/5225066
  14. "Adelaide United agree to release Steven Lustica". Sacha Pisani. Sportal. 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  15. "Steven Lustica returns to Roar". Football Federation Australia. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014.
  16. "Roar release midfield duo". Football Federation Australia. 3 May 2016.
  17. "Midfielder signs for Western Sydney Wanderers". A-League. Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  18. "Wanderers confirm player departures". Western Sydney Wanderers. 30 June 2018.
  19. Somerford, Ben (3 July 2018). "Lustica seals Croatian switch". FourFourTwo.
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