Kye Rowles
Australian soccer player (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kye Francis Rowles (born 24 June 1998) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a central defender for Major League Soccer club D.C. United and the Australia national team.
.jpg)
|
Rowles with DC United in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kye Francis Rowles[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Kiama, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Central defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | D.C. United | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| QAS | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2015 | FFA CoE | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Brisbane Roar NPL | 5 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Brisbane Roar | 2 | (0) |
| 2017–2022 | Central Coast Mariners | 104 | (2) |
| 2022–2025 | Heart of Midlothian | 82 | (1) |
| 2025– | D.C. United | 31 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013–2015 | Australia U17 | 15 | (0) |
| 2016 | Australia U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Australia U23 | 5 | (0) |
| 2022– | Australia | 25 | (1) |
Medal record | |||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 25 October 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 July 2025 | |||
Rowles began his professional career with Brisbane Roar in 2016 before moving to Central Coast Mariners in 2017. In 2022 he signed for Scottish club Heart of Midlothian. He has represented Australia at under-17 level, including at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, under-23 level at the Tokyo Olympics and at senior level at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Brisbane Roar
In May 2016, Rowles signed his first professional contract with Brisbane Roar on a two-year deal along with fellow young defender Connor O'Toole.[2] Rowles made his first competitive start for the Roar in a loss to Ulsan Hyundai in the AFC Champions League on 28 February 2017.[citation needed]
Central Coast Mariners
Rowles moved to Central Coast Mariners on a one-year contract in June 2017.[3] He made his Mariners' A-League debut on 18 November 2017, following an injury to Josh Rose, in a loss to Adelaide United.[4]
Rowles played for the Mariners in the 2021 FFA Cup Final, which the Mariners lost 2-1. Rowles was jointly awarded the Mark Viduka Medal along with Jake Brimmer, becoming the first player to win the medal while playing for the losing team. He is also the only person to consecutively win the Mariners Medal.
Heart of Midlothian
On 9 June 2022, Rowles joined Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian for an undisclosed fee and signed a three-year deal.[5] On 16 January 2023, following a successful World Cup with Australia, Rowles signed a five-year contract extension to 2028.[6]
D.C. United
On 15 January 2025, Rowles joined Major League Soccer outfit D.C. United for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal, with an option of another year.[7][8]
International career
.jpg)
Rowles was selected in the Australian under-17 team for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[9]
In November 2020, Rowles was called up to the Australian under-23 team for friendly matches against A-League sides.[10] In June 2021, Rowles was called up to the team again for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[11] He was part of the Olyroos Olympic squad. The team beat Argentine in their first group match but were unable to win another match. They were therefore not in medal contention.[12]
Rowles made his Socceroos debut 1 June 2022 against Jordan in a friendly match, winning 2-1.[13]
Rowles was called up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[14]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 19 October 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brisbane Roar | 2016–17 | A-League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 2017–18 | A-League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| Total | 104 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 2 | ||
| Hearts | 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 2023–24 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| Total | 82 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 1 | ||
| D.C. United | 2025 | Major League Soccer | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| Career total | 219 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | 3 | ||
- Includes the FFA Cup and U.S. Open Cup
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2022 | 7 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 24 | 1 | |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 March 2024 | Western Sydney Stadium, Parramatta, Australia |  Lebanon | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
- Australia U20
- Individual
- Mariners Medal: 2020–21, 2021-22[16]
- Mark Viduka Medal: 2021[17]
- A-Leagues All Star: 2022[18]
