Jason van Blerk

Personalia: Born: 16/3 1968 Birthplace: Sydney (AUS) Nationality: Australia (27/1) Height: 6`0" (183cm) Weight: 13st. 0lb (83kg) Position: Left Midfield League Appearances: Season: Club: Games: Goals: 19??-1992 Blacktown City (AUS) ? ? 19??-1992 Sint Truiden (BEL) ? ? 1992-1992 Leichardt (AUS) ? ? 1992-1994 Go Ahead Eagles (HOL) 46 5 1994-1997 Millwall 73 2 1997-1998 Manchester City 19 0 1998-2001 West Bromwich Albion 109 3 2001-2002 Stockport County 13 0 2001-2002 Hull City 10 1 2002-2003 Shrewsbury Town 23 1 200?-200? Wollongong Wolves (AUS) ? ? Total: 293 12

Australian International Jason Van Blerk is a much travelled player, who played for (at least) 4 clubs in 3 different countries before joining City in 1997. He was born on 16 March 1968 and had his first spell in Belgium, at a club called Sint Truiden. After that he moved to Holland, where he played for Go Ahead Eagles Deventer (then dutch premier league, now dutch 1st division) from 92 to 94. The three seasons before City he spent with Millwall in England.

Jason was brought in by Frank Clark at the start of the 1997-98 campaign, but struggled to maintain his place in the team. He only lasted 7 months at Maine Road, and while City brought him in on a free transfer, it was West Bromwich who paid £250k for his services in March 1998. By then Joe Royle had taken over as manager, and van Blerk was one of the first players that had to go. It had been a dreadful season, which culminated with City going down to Division 2.

Jason's international career was hampered by his stay at City. He did not play any games for Australia between 1996 and 2000, and it was only after showing good performances at WBA that he was included in the national side again in 2000, when he made his 4 last caps for the Socceroos.

2/1 2004: Jason van Blerk likes what he has seen since arriving back in Australia and signing with the Wollongong Wolves. Van Blerk ended a 12-year stint in Europe less than a month ago and has taken little time to get back into the thick of the NSL after a long break from the league. The 34-year-old former Socceroo said joining a winning team made the transition an easy one. "It is always good to come into a team that is doing well," he said. "I was just biding my time, I had come on in the last three games which was something I enjoyed, it got my fitness up." While saying that he felt for van Bentum, van Blerk is determined to establish himself in the starting side. The professional attitude of his Wollongong team-mates is something that has impressed a player who spent time with English clubs Manchester City, Milwall and West Bromwich Albion.