Mohamed Al-Taay

#12 MOHAMED AL-TAAY BIO – dob 15/6/00

Mohamed Al-Taay joined the Phoenix for the start of pre-season training in July 2023 after signing a two-year deal with the club.

The ball-winning midfielder played for the Newcastle Jets for the past two seasons, making 30 appearances across all competitions, after being Western Sydney Wanderers’ youth player of the year in 2020.

Al-Taay grew up in Campbelltown in south-west Sydney and played his junior football at Blacktown City, when Giancarlo Italiano was the club’s head of football.

Italiano has likened him to former Phoenix midfielder Cameron Devlin.

“It was a no brainer signing Mo because he’s got the same energy that Cam Devlin brought to the team a couple of years ago.

“He’s got the same attributes. Cammy won a lot of ball in the midfield, and he reminds me of Cammy quite a bit.”

“A couple of the Jets boys that were at Wellington made that comparison too,” Al-Taay said.

“I take it as a compliment as Cammy’s a very good player. I do think we have similar attributes in the way that we play.

“I bring a lot of energy in the middle of the park. I like to get the best out of my teammates. I’m a ball winner, cover a lot of space and do all the dirty work for my defenders behind me.”

> 2022-23 season

Mohamed Al-Taay made 17 appearances for the Jets in the 2022-23 A-League, 10 of which were as a substitute.

Four of his seven starts came during Newcastle’s best run of the season in January and February, when they put together a six-match unbeaten run.

He has all the attributes new head coach Giancarlo Italiano wants from a defensive midfielder.

“A big strength of Mo’s is he wins a lot of ball in midfield,” Italiano said. “We need aggressive sixes that will win a lot of ball and that’s irrespective of what formation we’re playing.

“He’s also a great kid and he’s a top professional. He’s a hard trainer, he always listens and takes information on board, and he’s always looking to get better.

“We can harness those skills and really support the way we play.”

Taay can cover multiple positions and his versatility will be a key asset.