Biography
Who is Ajdin Hrustic?
Early life and youth career
Ajdin Hrustic was born on July 5, 1996, in Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. He grew up with a Bosniak father and a Romanian mother and is religiously Muslim. As a young player, he developed his skills playing youth football with local side South Melbourne and later with Schalke 04 before moving on to bigger opportunities in Europe.
His early path took him to FC Groningen in the Netherlands, where he signed his first senior professional contract in June 2015. He worked hard through the youth ranks and eventually made his professional debut for Groningen as a substitute in April 2017 during a match against AZ Alkmaar. Just two weeks later, he scored his first senior goal with an impressive long-range shot to secure a victory over PEC Zwolle.
European club career
In September 2020, Ajdin signed a contract with German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, receiving the number seven jersey. He made his debut for the team in December of that year against FC Augsburg and scored his first goal for the club against Mainz 05 in May 2021 with a chipped finish over the goalkeeper.
A major milestone in his club career occurred on May 18, 2022, when he became the first Australian player to win the UEFA Europa League. Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Scottish opponents Rangers in the final following a penalty shoot-out where Ajdin successfully converted his team's second penalty. This victory marked the first time an Australian won a major UEFA competition since Harry Kewell in 2005.
International career with Australia
Because of his heritage, Ajdin was eligible to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania in addition to Australia. After being contacted by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2017, he ultimately rejected the offer to represent the Socceroos. He received a call-up to an Australian under-23 development squad in March 2017 and was later named in the senior preliminary squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Ajdin made his senior international debut for Australia in a friendly match against Brazil. He scored his first international goal in June 2021 against Kuwait during the second round of World Cup qualifying with a powerful free-kick. He continued to play a crucial role for the national team, scoring vital goals during World Cup qualifying matches against Japan and the United Arab Emirates to help Australia secure a spot in the tournament.
Birthday and age
Ajdin Hrustic was born on July 5, 1996, which makes Ajdin 30 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Ajdin shares the date with 61 other famous people.
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