Erik Paartalu

Erik Paartalu

Erik Paartalu for Brisbane Roar
Personal information
Full name	Erik Paartalu
Date of birth	(1986-05-03) 3 May 1986
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Defensive Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Tianjin Teda
Number	16
Youth career
	Northern Spirit
2000–2001	NSWIS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	Northern Spirit	3	(0)
2004	Northern Tigers	17	(4)
2004–2006	Parramatta Eagles	28	(2)
2006–2008	Gretna	35	(4)
2008	→ Stirling Albion (loan)	10	(1)
2008–2010	Greenock Morton	57	(6)
2010–2013	Brisbane Roar	79	(10)
2013–	Tianjin Teda	30	(5)
National team‡
2003	Australia U-17	3	(0)
2013–	Australia	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 November 2013. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 July 2013

Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Estonian-Australian footballer who plays for Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League.

Club career

NSL

Paartalu began his career with Northern Spirit in the National Soccer League, after stints with the Spirit youth team and the New South Wales Institute of Sport. His NSL career at the Spirit was however limited to a single appearance as a substitute on 11 January 2004 against the Melbourne Knights.

After the dissolution of the Northern Spirit, Paartalu moved to the Northern Tigers in the New South Wales Winter Super League where he played 17 matches scoring four goals in the 2004 season.^[1]

During 2004 Paartalu moved to the Parramatta Eagles who were then playing in the New South Wales Premier League. He continued with the Eagles until the latter half of the 2006 season, before he decided to take his chances on a career in the United Kingdom.

Scotland

After a trial with Doncaster in League One it was expected he would sign a contract until the departure of manager Dave Penney put an end to the deal.^[2] Arriving at Gretna in September Paartalu was signed on a short term contract after a trial. A number of impressive performances led to a two and a half-year contract being signed in January 2007. Paartalu joined Stirling Albion on 1 January 2008 on a loan deal from Gretna until the end of the 2007/2008 season.^[3] Paartalu made his debut for the Binos against Hamilton on 5 January 2008 at New Douglas Park.^[4] In his second game he scored his first and only goal for the club, in a 4-1 defeat to Livingston.^[5]

Paartalu was released by Gretna in March 2008 due to them entering administration.^[6] He then joined Greenock Morton.^[7] After helping Morton stay in the First Division, Paartalu signed a two-year deal at the end of April 2008 to keep him at Cappielow until 2010.^[8]

Brisbane Roar

With his contract at Morton running out in the summer, Paartalu signed a pre-contract agreement with Brisbane Roar on 24 February 2010.^[9] Paartalu has become an important player for Brisbane, becoming a linchpin in the midfield and scoring crucial goals.^[10][11][12] Paartalu's defining moment at the Roar came in the 2011 A-League Grand Final, where he scored the equaliser with the last touch of the game in the 120th minute.^[13] He also went on to score the Roar's second penalty in the shootout against the Mariners. Paartalu was awarded the A-League Solo Goal of the Year for the 2010–11 season for his volley against Gold Coast United in the last game of the regular season.

In Brisbane's first match of the 2011–12 finals series, Paartalu's powerful strike sealed a 2–0 win for Brisbane in the first leg against the Central Coast.

Paartalu has started all of Brisbane Roar's matches in both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, including the A-League finals series and the AFC Champions League.^[14]

Tianjin Teda

On 21 January 2013 it was confirmed that Paartalu had signed a two-year deal with Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League.^[15]

International career

Paartalu represented Australia at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship.^[16] Paartalu played in all three of Australia's three games in the tournament, a 0–2 loss against Argentina and a 1–2 loss against Nigeria. On 21 February 2012 he was selected to play for the Socceroos against Saudi Arabia national football team in a World Cup qualification match.^[17]

Personal life

Paartalu holds dual Estonian and Australian nationality due to the fact his paternal grandparents were born in Estonia. Paartalu was asked to represent Estonia at international level as an 18-year-old but refused, stating he was only interested in representing the country of his and his parents' birth, Australia.^[18]

Honours

With Gretna F.C.:

• Scottish First Division: 2006–07

With Brisbane Roar:

• A-League Championship: 2011–2012
• A-League Premiership: 2010–2011
• A-League Championship: 2010–2011
• A-League Solo Goal of the Year: 2010–11

References

External links

• Brisbane Roar profile
• OzFootball profile