Brisbane Roar Football Club has signed USC student Jez Lofthouse to play in the national A-League competition.
The talented 21-year-old winger, who is partway through a Bachelor of Sport Studies program and a member of USC’s High Performance Student Athlete (HPSA) program, said he was “super excited” to have signed with the Roar for two years.
“After growing up going to games at Suncorp Stadium and watching the Roar play, it’s a cool feeling to be in the position those great players were in and I’m very keen for the season to begin,” said Jez, who is the son of Channel 9 Brisbane newsreader Andrew Lofthouse.
Jez grew up on the Sunshine Coast and played for several local teams, starting with the Pacific Jets at Pacific Lutheran College then the Sunshine Coast Junior Premier League side.
He had a quick stint at the Sunshine Coast Fire before moving to Maroochydore FC for a season and then returning to the Fire.
In 2017, aged 16, Jez graduated to the National Premier Leagues Queensland with the Fire before switching to Olympic FC in 2018 where he won the league’s Young Player of the Year in his first season.
Roar head coach Warren Moon said Jez was a skilful, exciting player who had fitted in well with the group during pre-season training.
“Jez has done very well at NPL level for a few years now and we look forward to helping him take this next step in his career,” Moon said.
Jez said his USC Bachelor of Sports Studies helped him develop a greater understanding of an athlete’s life off the pitch and how to ensure his body and mind could work to its full potential.
“I’ve learnt about recovery and how to properly prepare for exercise while also learning about life after sport and potential fields of work I could enter after my career,” he said.
USC high performance sport director Professor Brendan Burkett congratulated Jez on his success in gaining a sought-after contract with Brisbane Roar.
“I know the University and the Sunshine Coast community are very proud of his achievements and wish him the best representing the Roar in the A-League,” Professor Burkett said.
USC’s HPSA program is designed to help student athletes achieve excellence in both their sport and studies through tailored support.
