Jake earns contract extension with Sky Blues
On earning such a significant contractual extension with Sydney FC, he said, “It feels really good …this is my home team and it has a very special place in my heart.'
A Sydney FC fan since his childhood, Jake Girdwood-Reich is feeling sky high after signing a new three-year contract with the Sky Blues, on the back of his successful debut A-League Men’s season in 2022/23.
The 19-year-old Jewish central defender, who first played football for the club as a 12-year-old junior – and also played junior futsal for the Mascot Vipers, whose head coach is Israeli-Australian Zvi Ben-David – will now happily remain at the club he loves most until the end of the Isuzu-UTE A-League 2025/26 season.
He impressed in his first season of professional football, playing 19 games for Sydney FC, including in a memorable finals series win over arch-rivals Western Sydney Wanderers, and a 2-1 friendly match win over a touring Celtic FC team.
In the latter match, he defended strongly against some of the big names in Scottish football, came off the field to get bandaged up after copping a gash to his head, and returned to the field, making some important tackles and clearances.
He made his starting side debut in Sydney’s 3-3 draw with Western United in April.
Girdwood-Reich won the club’s 2022 Rising Star Award, and represented the Young Socceroos in the 2023 AFC U20 men’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan earlier this year.
On earning such a significant contractual extension with Sydney FC, he said, “It feels really good …this is my home team and it has a very special place in my heart.
“The head coach [Steve Corica] believes in me, and that was a big reason why I re-signed.
“I showed last season what I can do, but I think I’ve got a lot more to show this season.
“I’m physically much better, I’ve got more speed, and I feel calmer on the ball after a year playing with the A-League squad.”
Corica is confident Girdwood-Reich will continue to make his mark in upcoming seasons.
“Jake has shown great promise since stepping up and I believe we will see the best of him this season,” Corica said.
“Jake is a smart player who plays with aggression and a lot of heart, he is comfortable on the ball and I think our members and fans will enjoy watching him.
“His contract extension is fully deserved, and I’m looking forward to him putting pressure on his teammates for a starting role.”