Thomas Carl Veart (born 21 May 1970) is an Australian former footballer who is the head coach for Adelaide United.[1]
Early life
Veart was born on 21 May 1970 from the town of Whyalla in South Australia. Veart played various sports growing up, playing soccer, Aussie rules, basketball and cricket at home.[2] Veart began playing soccer at the age of four and joined a local club in the under-9s. After progressing through youth level, Veart made his debut in senior soccer at the age of 15.[2][3] At 17 years old, Veart initially pursued an apprenticeship before moving to Adelaide to pursue football.[2] He spent his early senior years at Salisbury United for two years before moving to Adelaide City under the mentorship of Zoran Matić. Veart considers Matić as his biggest influence both as a player and coach.[2]
Club career
England
Sheffield United
On 22 July 1994, Veart moved to England to sign with Sheffield United for a transfer fee of £150,000.[4] On 5 November 1995, he netted two goals to secure a 4–1 victory over Portsmouth.[5] On 9 September, Veart scored the winning goal in the match against Norwich which saw five Norwich players booked.[6]
On 27 December 1996, Veart scored his first goal for Palace, netting past Australian keeper Andy Petterson, in a 2–1 win against Charlton Athletic.[9] Veart went on to score six goals in nine games, helping his side towards promotion to the Premier League and earned the nickname "goal machine" by the Palace faithful.[10] In the 1997–98 season, after six appearances in the top flight and struggling for playing time, Veart was sold to Millwall for a fee of £100,000 in December 1997.[11]
Adelaide United
After a five-year stint with former club Adelaide City, Veart joined Adelaide United in their inaugural season in the 2003–04 NSL season. He made his debut at Hindmarsh Stadium on 17 October 2003, scoring United's first goal in their history in a 1–0 win against Brisbane Strikers, in front of a sell-out crowd of 15,568.[12] He helped his side to a top-four position on the table, scoring a brace in a 4–3 win over Melbourne Knights on 8 February 2004.[13] Veart went on to score in both legs of the elimination final against Brisbane Strikers, importantly in the second leg where his side lost 4–1, clinching qualification on away goals to the semi-final.[14] He finished his debut season as the club top goalscorer with 12 goals in 27 appearances.[15]
Ahead of the newly established A-League, Veart scored the maiden goal of the competition in a 1–0 opening day victory over Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium.[16] On 28 October 2005, he scored the only goal in a decisive win over Melbourne Victory to send his side to the top of the table.[17] His side continue their dominance at the top, as Veart scored the equaliser in the 76th minute of a 2–1 away win against Newcastle on 2 December.[18] At the end of the season, he was named Adelaide United's Player of the Season and nominated for the Johnny Warren Medal.[19]
International career
He made his debut for the Socceroos in 1992 and played 18 'A' matches, scoring 7 goals.
^Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (1999). A Complete Record of Sheffield United Football Club 1889–1999. Sheffield United. p. 295. ISBN0-9508588-2-X.
^Brown, Geoff (5 November 1995). "Prolific Aldridge". The Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
^Brown, Geoff (9 September 1995). "Red mist for Gunn". The Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
