Socceroo Jackson Irvine: ‘We want to use the game as a driving force for good’

On his right leg, a tattoo of the Simpsons character Moe Szyslak earned international renown. He is a darling of football fashionistas for his love of vintage jerseys. But Jackson Irvine, the 30-year-old Socceroo and new president of Professional Footballers Australia – the body representing the country’s elite players – hopes to stand for something altogether less superficial.

“I think the simplest way I can put it is, you just want to use the game to improve your community, grow the community around you,” he says from the US ahead of the Socceroos’ friendly against Mexico on Sunday. “We want to use the game as a driving force for good.”

Irvine is perhaps the most outspoken Australian footballer. He was a key proponent behind first the Socceroos’ understanding, and then ultimately their pre-World Cup public message about rights of migrant workers and discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar. And he has not shied away from expressing his opinion on many of the game’s controversies.

At his German club St Pauli, associated with progressive causes and political activism, Irvine was made co-captain in his second season. This year, he was named sole skipper. His coach Fabian Hürzeler, described him in July as a “genuine leader both on and off the pitch, someone who leads from the front when the going gets tough”.

Those were the values that have earned him respect in Australian football and made him the obvious choice for the PFA’s new president, after the transition to retirement for longtime leader Alex Wilkinson. “No campaigning required,” Irvine laughs. “After a couple of conversations with our chief executives [co-CEOs Kate Gill and Beau Busch], they were actually the ones who put me forward and thought that I would be a good person for the role.”

Busch describes Irvine’s work as the Socceroos navigated the issue of workers rights in Qatar as “courageous”. He says that after discussions with members of the PFA executive, it was obvious Irvine should be the new president. “He was one of the ones that straight away expressed a strong desire to take on the role, which is really important. It’s not always an easy role. It can be challenging at times, and it’s really important that whoever undertakes that role really has a will and an eagerness to take it on.”

Sport has a rich tradition of political expression, but disagreement within it can be fierce. Former basketballer Andrew Bogut criticised a pledge this week from the Socceroos and Matildas to purchase carbon offsets for flights for recent World Cup tournaments as “virtue signalling”. Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has been targeted by conservative media for his outspoken support for addressing the climate crisis, such as encouraging clubs to install solar panels.

Yet Irvine feels the issues he pursues are not overtly political. “They shouldn’t divide opinion, these are issues of basic human rights,” he says. “Everything we try to do, we do with the best interests of the game and the community at heart, and that’s what I will always try to do in life, and in roles like this.”

View image in fullscreen

Busch rejected any suggestion that Irvine’s appointment would be divisive. “We’re not talking about small government, big government, capitalism or socialism, we’re actually talking about basic human rights. That’s where we had a level of comfort with Jackson.” But around the boardroom table, Busch does anticipate a healthy exchange of views. “He will push us, he will test our thinking and we’ll do the same with him.”

Irvine has carved out an outstanding career in Europe, starting in Scotland where his family is from – he actually played for Scottish junior sides before committing to the Socceroos. Despite playing more than 50 times for his country, only in recent years has he established himself as a regular in Graham Arnold’s side. His high standing within the Australian setup was affirmed when he was named Socceroos captain for the friendly against Ecuador in March in Melbourne, the city of his birth.

Advocacy, too, has not been automatic. “It’s been a bit of a journey and a bit of a process for myself,” Irvine says. The move to St Pauli seemed organic, as Irvine came to understand his place in the game through his 20s. Earlier this year, he joined the Global Player Council at Fifpro, the international players union. “It’s just been work that I’ve gravitated more and more towards and have enjoyed.”

Irvine lists improvements to the women’s game, greater focus on Indigenous advancement and ultimately the growth of football as priorities for his presidency. “I think for myself to be in this role at this time, I couldn’t be more excited to see where the game goes next and be a part of the group that helps shape that, shape the vision that the players have.”