Young Jamie
Jamie Iain Young (born 25 August 1985) is an English-Australian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper . Born in Brisbane , Australia , to English parents, he represented England at youth international level.
Young began his professional career with Reading in the English Football League system in 2002, accumulating over 200 appearances across various clubs in England before moving to Australia in 2014. There, he joined Brisbane Roar in the A-League and later played for Adelaide United, Western United—where he won the 2021–22 premiership—and Melbourne City. He retired from professional football in February 2025 after 24 years and nearly 600 appearances.
Jamie Young was born on 25 August 1985 in Brisbane , Queensland , Australia . He is of Sri Lankan and Scottish descent.
Young spent his formative years in Brisbane , attending Padua College where he played as a goalkeeper for the school's First XI team. His childhood was marked by a growing passion for football, influenced by the vibrant local sports scene in Queensland .
From an early age, Young immersed himself in youth football, playing for several Brisbane-based clubs including Albany Creek , Pine Hills, and Eastern Suburbs, before advancing to the Queensland Academy of Sport. These experiences solidified his position as a goalkeeper and provided foundational training in competitive play.
At age 17 in 2002, Young relocated from Brisbane to England to join Reading's youth academy, marking the transition from his Australian upbringing to a professional pathway abroad.
Young earned a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science (Honours) from the University of Queensland, completing the degree after leaving school early and during the early stages of his professional football career in England . His dissertation for the bachelor's focused on human genomic research in professional football, exploring genetic factors influencing athletic performance.
Following his return to Australia in 2014, Young pursued advanced academic studies, enrolling as a PhD candidate in Sports Coaching at the University of Queensland. His doctoral research centers on the psychology of sports coaching, with a particular emphasis on coach-athlete dynamics and the characteristics of coaching in the A-League. By early 2025, he was in the final year of his PhD program, integrating his experiences as a professional athlete into his thesis on coaching behaviors and athlete development.
In addition to his academic work, Young serves as an ambassador for the Multicultural Development Association (MDA), drawing on his Sri Lankan and Scottish heritage to promote diversity and inclusion in sports and community programs. While specific peer-reviewed publications from his PhD research were not yet available as of late 2025, his thesis contributes to the field of sports science by examining psychological aspects of high-performance coaching environments.
At the age of 17, Jamie Young relocated from Brisbane , Australia , to England in 2002 after being scouted by Reading FC to join their youth academy, marking the beginning of his professional development in English football.
Young's tenure at Reading spanned from 2003 to 2006, during which he focused primarily on youth development but earned a single first-team appearance as a substitute in the 2005–06 season amid the club's promotion to the Championship . To gain senior experience, he was loaned to League Two side Rushden & Diamonds for the 2005–06 campaign, where he made 20 appearances and contributed to key matches, including efforts to stave off relegation despite the club's eventual drop to the Conference National. Limited opportunities at Reading, coupled with challenges in adapting to the competitive environment, led to his release in May 2006.