Young Socceroos star Alexander Badolato has joined Newcastle Jets on a two-year deal, after ending his seven-year stint at Western Sydney Wanderers.
Badolato joined the Wanderers academy aged 13 and went on to make 20 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances for the club across three-and-a-half seasons, before a loan move to Melbourne Victory in February, 2025.
The 20-year-old made nine appearances for Victory – including a 30-minute bench cameo in the 2025 Grand Final against Melbourne City – but following the end of his loan spell, the Young Socceroo has put pen to paper on a deal with the Jets that will run through to the end of the Isuzu UTE A-League 2026-27 season.
Badolato is the first new signing of new Jets head coach Mark Milligan, a Subway Socceroos great whose arrival in Newcastle was integral to convincing the attacking midfielder on a move to the club.
“The opportunity to work with a talented coach in Mark Milligan is something that excites me immensely,” Badolato said.
“I can’t wait to show the fans of Newcastle what I can do as a player, and I want to be part of a winning team that plays an exciting brand of football.”
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It’s been a big year for Badolato, who in February played an integral role in the Subway Young Socceroos’ quest for continental glory at the 2025 Under-20 AFC Asian Cup.
Badolato was named most valuable player at the tournament as Australia clinched the Asian Cup crown with a penalty shootout win over Saudi Arabia in the final; the Young Socceroos squad became just the third Australian side to win an Asian Cup, following the senior Socceroos in 2015 and Matildas in 2010.
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Having signed with the Jets, Badolato will continue his development under retired 80-cap Socceroo Milligan, who has described the first signing of his tenure as a player who “ticks all the boxes” for the club both as a player and a person.
“We are extremely happy that we were able to gain a player of Alex’s quality,” Milligan said.
“He holds great potential and I believe we will see him flourish in our environment.
We want to continue to be a club that is able to promote young talented players from the area and attract young talent from around the country. Alex ticks all the boxes for us as a person first and a footballer second.”
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