Welcome to A-Leagues Alumni: A weekly piece that keeps you up to date with the best stories from our products flying the flag abroad. The acronyms of the A-Leagues club(s) each player has represented are in brackets after their name.
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Socceroo’s ‘monster’ performance has Hearts dreaming of the unthinkable
Is this the season Hearts break Celtic and Rangers’ stranglehold on Scottish football? Led by A-Leagues graduate Cameron Devlin (SYD, WEL, NEW), they are on track to snap 40 years of dominance.
Devlin produced a “monster” performance as Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts dismantled defending champions Celtic 3-1 over the weekend.
The CommBank Socceroos midfielder went toe-to-toe with Celtic captain Callum McGregor and came out on top in a feisty contest which ended with Hearts moving eight points clear atop the table and Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers handing in his resignation aftermath.
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“It’s just the way the game goes. It’s a heated game and a big three points that we were both so desperate to get,” Devlin said of his clash with McGregor.
“We’re fine. We’ve played against each other so many times now, so that’s fine.”
Not since 1960 have Hearts won a Scottish top-flight title but the Edinburgh-based club are daring to dream of the unthinkable.
Devlin is playing a key role this season.
Labelled a “future captain” by one fan, the 27-year-old midfielder has not missed a single minute of Hearts’ nine Scottish Premiership fixture in 2025-26, amassing 810 minutes of action.
It is why Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is keen to keep Devlin, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
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“Cammy knows how I feel,” McInnes told the Edinburgh Evening News.
“I think his agent and the club have spoken, and Cammy and I have spoken. I told him: ‘I’d like you to be here longer, but if you want that to happen then you need to come towards us and get your agent to get in touch.’
“There has been some dialogue but no more than that at the minute. I’m hopeful with it. Cammy hasn’t said ‘no’.
“He knows I want him, the club want him and he really enjoys it here. I think he has started the season really strongly.”
But for Devlin, who returned to the Socceroos setup for the first time in over a year as he dreams of a call-up for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, he is in no rush to decide his future.
“My agent and the club have been in contact, in terms of getting a new deal sorted,” Devlin told ESPN previously. “They’re still talking now.
“Everyone knows that since I’ve been there, I really enjoy it. I’ve got a home now, and I feel like I’m quite settled there. I love the city. Love the people. Everyone’s been so welcoming and nice to me. I’d love to stay.
“But at the same time, I’ve been consistent, and I just have been wanting to focus on my football … I don’t really want to lose my focus and lose the team’s focus and take away from any of that.
“My sole focus at the moment has been playing football for Hearts and trying to win as many games as possible. And obviously it’s been working.
“Definitely not in a hurry to leave or anything; I really enjoy everything about Hearts. Everyone who knows me knows that … but my focus at the moment is just playing football.”
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Devlin was not the only Australian to star in Scotland’s top flight over the weekend.
Zac Sapsford (WSW) and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (ADL, WUN, NEW) were both on the scoresheet for Dundee United and Motherwell respectively.
Sapsford converted a free-kick in United’s 3-1 win over St Mirren, who had Keanu Baccus (WSW) in the starting XI.
Former Western Sydney Wanderers star Sapsford has scored five goals and supplied three assists in all competitions since joining United at the start of the season.
As for Stamatelopoulos, he scored a penalty as Motherwell defeated Livingston 2-1. The Aussie striker has scored five goals for Motherwell in 2025-26. John Koutroumbis (NEW, WSW, PER) came off the bench for Motherwell, as did Tete Yengi (NEW) for Livingston.
Aussie icon has lift-off in Asia, another great’s title race going down to the wire
Harry Kewell (MVC, MCY) celebrated his first win since being appointed head coach of Hanoi FC in Vietnam.
After losing his maiden match, Kewell guided sixth-placed Hanoi FC past Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC 3-2 in the V.League 1.
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The match was played in wet conditions as heavy rain lashed the stadium.
“I am worried about the safety of the players of both teams,” Kewell told reporters post-game with Hanoi nine points off the pace. “The audience comes to the stadium to watch football, and the safety of the players is paramount.
“At the beginning of the match, it was raining heavily, making it difficult to move around and easy to slip. Players were easily injured. The ball could not move. But the great thing was that afterwards, the players of both teams adapted very well.”
Meanwhile in China, Kevin Muscat‘s (MVC) pursuit of back-to-back Chinese Super League titles is going right down to the wire.
Shanghai Port are just a point clear atop the table with two rounds remaining following their 3-1 defeat away to Shandong Taishan.
Despite the defeat, the defending champions still occupy the summit after title rivals Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua were both held to draws.
In Japan, head coach Arthur Papas (NEW) guided Cerezo Osaka to a 2-0 win over powerhouse Kawasaki Frontale.
Two goals inside the opening seven minutes helped 10th-placed Cerezo see off Frontale.
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Marco Tulio (CCM) scored as third-placed Kyoto Sanga drew 1-1 with leaders Kashima Antlers. Kyoto are five points off the pace. Mitch Duke (CCM, WSW) started for Machida Zelvia in their 0-0 draw at Urawa Reds.
Jason Geria (BRI, MVC, PER) started for bottom side Albirex Niigata in their 2-2 draw against Vissel Kobe.
Big Segecic update
Adrian Segecic (SYD) is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines due to an ankle injury.
The 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League Golden Boot winner was in tears as he left Fratton Park in a protective boot after hurting his ankle against EFL Championship high-flyers Coventry City last week.
But the former Sydney FC star has avoided surgery in a boost for Pompey, where the 21-year-old has scored three goals since leaving the Sky Blues.
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“It’s not too bad considering what we thought,” Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho said after Hayden Matthews (SYD) started in the loss to Stoke City.
“We’re looking at four-to-six weeks for Segs, so that’s a much better prognosis than we originally feared.
“He came in to the training ground as pleased as could be on Friday morning, given the results. He was bouncing around and back to his usual self.
“There’s not quite the physical activity, given he’s got his foot in a boot. He’s turned his ankle and there’s ligament damage, but there’s no need for surgery.”
Ryan Teague (SYD, MVC) and Jordy Bos (MCY) are both nursing injuries. Mechelen midfielder Teague underwent meniscus surgery in Belgium while Bos came off injured in Feyenoord’s 3-2 loss to rivals PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Lewis Miller (CCM) provided an assist for Blackburn Rovers in a 2-1 success against Southampton. Nestory Irankunda (ADL) came off the bench in Watford’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Coventry. Sam Silvera (NEW, CCM) came off the bench for Middlesbrough in a 1-1 draw against Wrexham.
Over in Norway, it was another game, another goal for Nick D’Agostino (BRI, PER, MVC).
The former A-Leagues striker made it two goals in two games after finding the back of the net for Viking in their 5-1 rout of Bryne in the Norwegian Eliteserien. Gianni Stensness (CCM, WEL) was a second-half substitute.
Socceroos pair Paul Izzo (ADL, CCM, MVC) and Mo Toure (ADL) both started for Randers in their 0-0 draw with Sonderjyske in Norway’s top flight. Musa Toure (ADL) came off the bench.
Noah Botic (WUN) was in the starting XI as Austria Wien lost 3-0 at home to RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga. Marco Tilio (MCY) was an unused substitute for Rapid Vien in a 2-0 win at Ried.
Daniel Arzani (MCY, MAC, MVC) came off the bench for Ferencvarosi in the club’s 2-1 defeat to Zalaegerszegi in the Hungarian top flight.
Max Balard (CCM) played 82 minutes in NAC Breda’s 3-3 draw with Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie.
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