Melbourne City have confirmed club captain and all-time leading goalscorer Jamie Maclaren will leave the club at the end of the season in order to pursue an opportunity away from the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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After joining City in January 2019 from German club SV Darmstadt 98, Maclaren has gone on to achieve remarkable success in his five-and-a-half-year stint at the club, but is set to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
“It’s a bittersweet moment for me to leave the club that I’ve called home for the past five and a half years,” said Maclaren. “I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve been able to achieve here, both personally and as a team.
“I came here to help bring success to this club and I leave knowing that I played my role in that, where together we’ve made so many fond memories and shared so much success.
He added: “To my teammates, the staff and our amazing supporters, I want to say thank you for making my time here so special.”
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Maclaren has scored an incredible 115 goals in 163 appearances during his spell at City, a tally crucial in helping the club win three Premierships and a Championship during that period.
Maclaren is the only player to have scored 100 or more goals for a single club in Isuzu UTE A-League history.
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Maclaren won four consecutive Golden Boots during that time and has also cemented his place in Australian Football history after surpassing Besart Berisha as the Isuzu UTE A-League’s greatest ever goalscorer, a total that currently stands at 154 goals.
Named Melbourne City captain at the start of the season, Maclaren’s last game for the club could be this Sunday when City face arch-rivals Melbourne Victory in a mouthwatering Elimination Final at AAMI Park.
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“Jamie embodies everything we stand for as a club, he’s been an outstanding footballer for us and an exceptional role model for his teammates and young fans,” said Melbourne City Director of Football Michael Petrillo.
“On the pitch, his name will remain in the record books forever. Not only is he the league’s greatest ever goal scorer, but he also made an enormous contribution to our Men’s team during their most successful period.
He concluded: “Jamie leaves City a legend, and with his family, will always be welcome back at our vlub.”
In honour of Maclaren’s contribution to the club, Melbourne City have confirmed a special membership category will be created in his honour from next season while also revealing the number nine and his family have also been given lifetime membership at the club in recognition of his legend status at City.
Having recently overtaken former captain and now assistant coach Scott Jamieson on the club’s all-time appearance list, Maclaren is now second only to current teammate Curtis Good in terms of games played for Melbourne City.
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