Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young has confirmed his exit from the club after a seven-year stint as he reflected on his extraordinary personal transformation while with the side.
Young joined the Roar in 2014 having previously spent his entire career in the lower divisions of England with the likes of Reading, Wycombe Wanderers and Aldershot Town.
The Brisbane-born shot-stopper initially struggled to adjust to the A-League and found himself in and out of the Roar side early on before establishing himself as their undisputed number one over the past four seasons.
Now at the age of 35, Young has decided to move on but was quick to reflect on how far he's come on and off the pitch while playing for the club, noting he was once the A-League's most dropped goalkeeper.
"End of an era! I’ve enjoyed representing my home town for the past seven years and I’m proud of what I have achieved playing for the @brisbaneroarfc," Young said in an Instagram post.
"The time has now come to seek a new challenge. My journey shows that it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. It’s not what the score is at half-time, but at full-time.
"I went from signing at the club as the number two, being the most dropped goalkeeper in A-League history to becoming the best keeper in the @aleague and most recently being voted as Best Player of the A-League according to Opta stats.
"In that time, I learnt a hell of a lot about myself, what I want to be, and where I want to go in my life.
"I became the only professional athlete in Australia to do a PhD @uniofqld, became an ambassador for @multiculturalaustralia and @wyiaustralia, where we had the inaugural Jamie Young Cup in Nepal, and engaged with players, clubs, and schools in the greater area of Brisbane to share my story of resilience.
"Thank you Brisbane Roar, thank you to the players, and thank you to you the fans. I have enjoyed representing our city and our State in the A-League, and I hope I have inspired you to your own greatness!
"The best is yet to come!"
Young has been linked with a move to Melbourne side Western United and is seemingly intent on playing on next season in the A-League.
During his time with Brisbane, Young won two Gary Wilkins Medals and was named the A-League goalkeeper of the year across the 2017-18 season.