Australian · Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · Born 13 January 1972Mark Bosnich is an Australian former goalkeeper who won the Premier League with Manchester United and was regarded as one of the finest shot-stoppers of his generation during a long spell at Aston Villa.
Mark Bosnich won the League Cup twice with Aston Villa — in 1994 and 1996 — and the 1999-2000 Premier League title with Manchester United, establishing himself as one of the premier shot-stoppers of his generation before a positive drugs test in 2002 ended his career at the highest level. He moved to England as a teenager to join Manchester United in 1988, making his first-team debut in 1990, but visa complications forced his return to Australia before he could establish himself at the club. Bosnich signed for Aston Villa in 1992, and over seven seasons developed into one of the Premier League's most respected shot-stoppers, renowned for an outstanding penalty-saving record, winning the League Cup in both 1994 and 1996. He returned to Manchester United in 1999 as the intended long-term successor to Peter Schmeichel, playing a key role in United's Intercontinental Cup win that year and the 1999-2000 Premier League title, though injuries and inconsistent form limited his impact and he was eventually replaced by Fabien Barthez. Bosnich moved to Chelsea in 2001, but his career unravelled after he tested positive for cocaine in a random drugs test; the FA banned him from all football activity for nine months in 2003 and Chelsea terminated his contract. He later returned to football in Australia, playing briefly for the Central Coast Mariners and Sydney Olympic before retiring in 2009. He earned 17 caps for Australia, helping the Socceroos to the final of the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, and has since built a career as a football broadcaster and pundit.
One of the Premier League's finest goalkeepers of the 1990s during his time at Aston Villa, and a Premier League champion with Manchester United
How They Played
Excellent shot-stopper renowned for an outstanding penalty-save record
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of the finest Australian goalkeepers of his generation, though his career and legacy were complicated by a career-altering drugs ban
Career Honours
- Premier League champion (2000, Manchester United)
- Intercontinental Cup winner (1999, Manchester United)
- 2x League Cup winner (1994, 1996, Aston Villa)
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up (1997, Australia)
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 1990–1991 | 3 |
| Aston Villa | 1992–1999 | 179 |
| Manchester United | 1999–2001 | 23 |
| Chelsea | 2001–2003 | 5 |
Australian Athletes