Youssouf Hersi

Born in Ethiopia, Hersi represented the Netherlands at youth international level.

Youssouf Hersi

Hersi with the Western Sydney Wanderers at the end of season parade in Parramatta
Personal information
Date of birth	(1982-08-20) 20 August 1982 (age 41)
Place of birth	Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2001	Ajax	9	(0)
2001–2002	NAC Breda	33	(3)
2002–2004	NEC	61	(19)
2004–2005	Heerenveen	9	(0)
2005–2007	Vitesse	69	(15)
2007–2009	Twente	46	(8)
2009–2010	AEK Athens	21	(1)
2010–2011	De Graafschap	22	(2)
2012–2014	Western Sydney Wanderers	47	(8)
2014–2015	Perth Glory	8	(0)
Total		325	(56)
International career
2001–2003	Netherlands U21	8	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

 

Hersi played in the Netherlands for Ajax, NAC Breda, NEC, Heerenveen, Vitesse, Twente and De Graafschap. He also played for the Greek side AEK Athens.

On 11 September 2012, Hersi signed with A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers. He scored his first goal for the club in the Sydney Derby on 15 December 2012. In February 2013, Hersi re-signed with the Wanderers for another season. On 10 March 2013, against Wellington Phoenix Hersi broke the Australian football record for most consecutive wins for a player (14) beating Matt Horsley's 13 wins for the Wollongong Wolves from April to December 2001. Hersi was sent off with a second yellow card in the Wanderers' Grand Final qualifier against Brisbane Roar and subsequently missed the 2013 A-League Grand Final in which the Wanderers lost 2–0 to Central Coast Mariners.

In May 2014 Hersi signed with Perth Glory. He requested a release from the club in May 2015, which was granted despite having another year to run on his contract.

Hersi was set to sign for the Central Coast Mariners in February 2016, but the deal was scuppered at the last minute after he travelled to Australia on the wrong type of visa.

Hersi played with the Dutch under-21 team at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.

He was never capped for the Dutch full national side, although he had expressed an interest in representing the nation of his birth Ethiopia at the international level,